Daddy's Sweetest Gift
by gibby101
Summary: What if there was a second daughter born early when Gibbs was in Iraq? Follow Gibbs as he raises his sweetest gift and redemption, Kate and tries to keep her a secret from his team. Read and reveiw please!
1. Chapter 1

So I am at your mercy people! I know I've promised updates that haven't appeared yet and frankly the plot bunnies ran away one day and brought me back an idea for a collection of NCIS one shots with their plethora of carrots. I'm sorry. Updates for my other stuff will happen once the college application madness ends and I'm accepted to my number one pick school. (Crosses fingers and says a prayer).

But yeah, this is a collection of one shots looking into Gibbs' life if he had a younger daughter that was born almost a month early, and two weeks before Shannon and Kelly were killed. Baby Kate makes a big difference in the lives of the NCIS family whether she knows it or not, just by surviving. None of the chapters or mini stories will be in any particular order. Picture it as Gibbs going through a jumbled up pile of old pictures and drawings he found in the attic or something. My good old buddy xofreethelightox has read the parts I've already written and told me they're really cute and believable so now I'm gonna post them for you to enjoy. As always REVIEWS PLEASE!!!!! And without further ado here is **Daddy's Sweetest Gift**

In this very first chapter/test run, Kate is four years old and very attached to her Daddy.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

The day had started out cold and overcast. As it had progressed the rain had come, ruining the moods of the Washington D.C. population and the plans of the haggard child care people at countless daycare centers across the city. In a little yellow house outside of D.C., one four year old girl stared out her living room window pouting. The little girl had curly, golden brown hair, big blue eyes, a smattering of freckles dusted across her nose, and a purple ribbons holding her shoulder length curls out of her face.

"Caitlin!" a slightly accented voice called out. Caitlin, the girl, sighed and slid off of the ottoman she had been using as her perch.

"Coming Mrs. Ducky!" she replied dragging her stuffed cocker spaniel puppy, Teddy, by the tail.

"Kate," Kate's ears perked up. Her Daddy was home before lunch time!

"DADDY!!!!" she squealed. Kate ran, dropping Teddy on the floor, into her father's legs and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey there sweetheart." Gibbs said dislodging himself from his daughter, and scooped her up into the air. "Are you being good for Mrs. Mallard?"

"Uh-huh! Mrs. Ducky says I'm a angel!" the four year old proclaimed. "But Mrs. Ducky says we gotta potty train Teddy."

Leroy Jethro laughed. "Well we can potty train Teddy this weekend while we work on the boat."

Kate beamed; she was going to get to see her Daddy's boat finally! "Can I help you with it Daddy?" she asked innocently.

"Of course you can silly!" Gibbs laughed, tossing a giggling Kate up in the air.

"Thank you Daddy!" Gibbs put his daughter down and affectionately ruffled her curls. "Daaddy." She whined leaning away from him. "Mrs. Ducky _just_ put in my bow!"

"Sorry Princess." Gibbs said smiling. "Go grab Teddy and I'll put _Aladdin_ on for you."

"Kay Daddy." Kate said scampering off looking for Teddy.

"How was she today Mrs. Mallard?" Gibbs asked the elderly woman.

"Just fine Jethro." Mrs. Mallard said handing Gibbs a ham and cheese sandwich for Kate. "She's behaving so well for a child whose father just divorced her second stepmother.

Gibbs had the tact to look guilty at the older woman's accusatory tone. "Turns out Diane didn't really like kids." She wanted control of Kate's trust fund from Shannon's parents."

"Then why marry a man with a child?" Mrs. Mallard asked as she shook her head.

"She wanted control of Kate's trust fund from Shannon's parents." Gibbs said sighing.

"What would make her want such a thing?" Mrs. Mallard asked as she whipped down the kitchen counter.

"I don't know Mrs. Mallard, I don't know." Gibbs replied.

"Daddy!" Kate called from the living room. "Can I watch Mary Poppins instead?"

"Sure thing Princess." Gibbs stood up from his seat at the kitchen table. "Duty calls."

Mrs. Mallard smiled. "Jethro will you be remaining or shall I stay?" the woman asked putting the dry breakfast dishes away.

"You can head home ma'am. We solved the case finally and the Director told us to take the rest of the week and the weekend off." Gibbs said.

"Daddy! Are you coming?" Kate called out again.

"Then I shall see you first thing Monday morning." Victoria said.

"Thank you again ma'am for doing this." Gibbs said. "It's getting harder and harder to find a sitter that's willing to stay the odd hours I pull."

"Jethro the joy and happiness that surrounds your daughter is thanks enough. Now shoo!" Mrs. Mallard commanded. "The poor girl has been waiting all morning to watch her movie."

Gibbs nodded and went into the living room and placed the sandwich on the coffee table. "Mary Poppins or Scooby Doo?" Gibbs asked Kate, tempting her with her favorite cartoon.

Kate pretended to think about her decision before firmly stating "Mary Poppins."

"You sure?" Gibbs asked as he looked at the bookcase full of video tapes. "We could watch Cinderella."

"I watched Cidy-ella _yesterday_." Kate said. "Mary Poppins."

Gibbs sighed. "Mary Poppins it is then." He said pulling the worn case off of a shelf and put the tape in the VCR. "Did you know that Big Sister Kelly loved Mary Poppins?" Jethro asked Kate.

Kate's eyes grew comically large as she shook her head. "No."

"I guess it slipped my mind." Gibbs said as he settled himself onto the couch next to Kate, who quickly clambered into his lap. "She used to wake me and your Mama up every Saturday morning to watch Mary Poppins. Your Mom used to call this Nanny Mary because she and I got to sleep in on Saturdays."

Kate listened to her father's story raptly. "What else Daddy?"

Jethro chuckled remembering another anecdote. "Kelly used to hate when I asked if she wanted to watch another movie when she had her mind set on Mary Poppins."

"Like me?" Kate asked curiously as Jethro began fast forwarding through some old previews.

"Like you Princess." Gibbs answered. "Just like you."

When Mrs. Mallard was leaving ten minutes later she found father and daughter passed out on the couch with Mary Poppins just arriving to the Banks household.


	2. Bullies and Puppies

**DISCLAIMER!!!** I don't own NCIS or any recognizable characters in this story. Kate Gibbs is the only person I have the rights to, along with Mr. Roberts and Tommy McLaughlin. They're mine. CBS owns everybody else.

Reviews please and thank you!

In this chapter Kate is six years old, and is learning how to stand up to the bullies at her elementary school.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Six year old Kate Gibbs sat on a bench in the main office of her elementary school, kicking her feet and using the patented 'Gibbs Glare' on Tommy McLaughlin. Tommy, eight years of age, was a second grader who enjoyed picking on the younger students. That day in particular Tommy had his sights set on Kate. Tommy had pulled Kate's curly hair on four separate occasions during a fire drill and snack recess. During lunch recess however, Tommy had kicked it up a notch and pushed Kate off of a swing. Kate in turn had sucker punched Tommy in the gut and then punched him in the face. Tommy was now developing a lovely black eye and was sulking at the opposite end of the bench.

After what seemed like _forever_, which in reality was only ten minutes of waiting, Tommy's father, a construction worker, arrived to the school. Miss Kelly, the secretary, led Mr. McLaughlin into Mr. Robertson's office. Miss Kelly emerged a few minutes later and continued on with her secretarial duties.

After a half hour Miss Kelly turned to get a page from the printer and saw Kate still sitting on the bench. "Miss Gibbs!" the secretary exclaimed. "Where's your father?"

Kate shrugged. "Workin' I think."

"I called his office a good half hour ago. He should have been here by now." Miss Kelly continued. "Have you any idea where he could be?"

Kate bit her little lip and shrugged. "At Dr. Ducky's maybe. Or in Labby Land or in Interesting."

"Excuse me?" Miss Kelly asked surprised by the answers. "What's Dr. Ducky's?"

"Daddy says his last name is Mallurd, but I couldn't say it as a baby sos I gets to call him Dr. Ducky. He's a medical exam for the Navy." Kate explained.

"Ah." Miss Kelly said. She seemed to understand what Kate was saying. Dr. Mallard (a type of duck, Mallard, Ducky. It made perfect sense now.) was a medical examiner for the Navy. "What's Labby Land?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Abby's Lab. Duh." Kate said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Abby works with Daddy and she's a scientist." Kate said proudly. "Abby does my pigtails for me." Kate was playing with her pigtails now, showing them off to Miss Kelly.

Miss Kelly nodded. She had noticed the pigtails Kate always seemed to have when her teacher, Mrs. Walsh, let her be the office messenger. "And Interesting?"

"Interesting is where Daddy and his team ask people questions 'bout why they broke the rules. Daddy says when I gets older I can go with him and listen if I wanna." Kate explained. "But he says I gots to be in high school first." Kate's baby blues grew comically round as she said _high school_. "You know what being in high school means Miss Kelly?" Kate asked.

"No Kate I don't. What's it mean?" Miss Kelly asked playing along.

"It means you're all growed up!" Kate exclaimed jumping up off the bench. As Kate was explaining her views about growing up to the young secretary Gibbs was coming into the school.

"Caitlin Erica Gibbs!" Kate hung her head when she heard her father's upset tone. "What did you do?"

"I punched Tommy McLaughlin." Kate admitted, her eyes failing to meet her father's.

Gibbs crouched down to her level and lifted her chin with his index finger. "Why would you do that Princess?"

"Cuz he pushed me off the swings hard and pulled my hair a lot." Kate mumbled.

Jethro sighed and pulled her into a hug. "What am I going to do with you?" He asked jokingly. Jethro had calmed down now, now that he knew his daughter wasn't dying from a head injury.

"Get me a real Teddy?" Kate asked hopefully, referring to her beloved stuffed dog. "Please?"

"We'll see." Gibbs said standing up. "After I hear what your principal has to say."

Kate made a face. "It's Tommy's fault Daddy! Not mine," she stated firmly as Gibbs walked off.

Gibbs quickly found himself seated in Mr. Robertson's office with Drew McLaughlin and the principal Ron Robertson.

"Mr. McLaughlin," Mr. Robertson started after a moment of awkward silence. "Tommy is being suspended for the rest of the week," it was Wednesday, "and is losing his recess privileges as well for two weeks."

"What? Why?" McLaughlin demanded to know; he was outraged with this punishment.

"It seems Mr. McLaughlin that Tommy has a history of bullying with the younger students. We have a no tolerance policy for bullying and Tommy is also being punished for past altercations." Mr. Robertson explained. "You're also very lucky that Miss Gibbs hadn't started swinging when your son shoved her off the swing. There could have been charges pressed."

"You're damn right." Gibbs growled out glaring at the other father. "I'm thinking of pressing charges regardless."

"Mr. Gibbs?" Mr. Robertson asked him to elaborate.

"You do realize McLaughlin, that I'm a **Federal Agent**?" Gibbs asked.

McLaughlin nodded. Gibbs continued with his explanation. "Assault charges can be pressed against anyone regardless of their age. If my daughter so much as has a **scraped knee** you'll be hearing from Metro PD." Gibbs said as he stood up. He turned to Robertson and said, "Kate won't be coming in to school Thursday or Friday. We're going camping." Gibbs stormed out of the inner office to dismiss his daughter.

"Daddy?" Kate asked as she pulled on her purple Barbie backpack, "Are we still going camping with Abby and Dr. Ducky and Auntie Jenny?"

"Of course we are Kiddo." Gibbs said as he led Kate out to the car. "Why?"

"Just wondering." Kate said. "I miss Auntie Jenny."

"Really?" Gibbs asked as they approached his car.

"Uh-huh." Kate said skipping along at her father's side. "She tells funny stories about her friend Ziva from Israel."

Gibbs chuckled. "Look and see who's in the car." He instructed.

Kate's baby blue eyes grew in excitement. "Auntie Jenny! Auntie Jenny!" She cried bounding over to the red headed NCIS agent. "I missed you!"

Jen crouched down and Kate threw her arms around Jenny's neck to hug her.

"Oh I've missed you too Katie-pie." Jen said as she secured the girl in her arms before picking her up. "You've gotten bigger since the last time I saw you."

Kate beamed. "Dr. Ducky says I'm 42 inches." She stated proudly.

"What a big girl you are!" Jen said.

Kate smiled at the appropriate response from Jenny and squirmed to be put down.

"Can we go now?" Kate asked her father as he unlocked the back door.

"Why so anxious Baby Doll?" Gibbs asked.

Kate rolled her eyes. "I wanna go camping with Abby and Dr. Ducky! Duh!"

Gibbs gave Kate a look and she apologized. "Sorry Daddy and Auntie Jenny for saying a mean word."

"It's okay sweetie," Jenny said. " 'Duh' isn't a very polite response when your father asks you a question."

"Oh." Kate said. "Then how come Lily Humphries gets to say it all the time?"

Jethro exchanged a look with Jen as he strapped Kate into her 'big girl' booster seat.

Jen shook her head and mouthed 'Your kid. You're on your own.'

Gibbs rolled his eyes, unnoticed by his daughter. "Well that's because Lily Humphries' Mommy and Daddy let her. I'm not Mr. Humphries and you're not Lily." Jethro explained. "What's Daddy's Rule Number One?"

Kate shrugged. "I dunno."

Gibbs started the car as he replied, "No back talk from Kate to Daddy or any adult who is in charge. Remember that now?"

Kate nodded. "Uh-huh." The drive back to the Gibbs home was quiet for a while. "Daddy?" Kate asked after a few minutes.

"What's up Princess?" Gibbs asked looking in the rear view mirror.

"Mrs. Ducky says you put bad people in time out." Kate said. "Do you have rules for the people in time out?"

Gibbs chuckled. "Yeah Kate, I do."

"Really?" Kate seemed to light up. "Can I know some?"

"Sure." Gibbs said slyly looking a giggling Jenny. "Rule number one- Never put the rule breakers in the same room once they've been caught."

Kate nodded solemnly. "That's a good rule."

"It's a very good rule." Jenny said. "Your Daddy teaches it to the other people on his team."

"Really?" Kate asked. "Can I know another rule?"

Gibbs racked his brain for a Kate-appropriate rule. "Never spill my coffee." He settled on finally. "This is a _very_ important rule."

"Why?" Kate asked curiously. Gibbs grimaced remembering when Kate would ask him 'Why' all the time when she was three.

"Your Daddy is a _very_ Grumpy-Gus without his coffee." Jenny explained.

"Why?" Kate asked.

"That's a question for Dr. Ducky." Gibbs said as he mock glared at Jenny. "You can ask him tonight during dinner."

"Okay Daddy." Kate happily chirped as she rummaged through her backpack. "Guess what Daddy?" Kate asked.

"What?" Gibbs asked playing along.

"We had library this morning!" was Kate's chipper reply. "I got a Magic School Bus book! Can you read it to me tonight?"

"I thought you wanted me to finish the Felicity book tonight?" Gibbs said. "We're almost done you know. I think she might save Penny from mean old Jiggy Nye."

Kate sat in the back seat perplexed. She _really_ wanted to find out if Lissy saved Penny or not, but Ms. Frizzle's class went somewhere cool! At least, that's what the pictures hinted at. "I don't know Daddy." Kate said after a few minutes of consideration. "I wanna hear both."

Gibbs thought about his options for a little bit. "_Hey Jenn?"_ he asked in Russian. "_Feel up to reading her library book when we get back to my place? I've got to get back to work. I'll cover for you._"

Jenny nodded before answering in rapid fire French. _"It's fine Jethro. Is this an invitation to spend the night at your home?_"

Gibbs chuckled. "Da," he said and nodded 'yes'.

"Soooo?" Kate asked. She knew that when her Daddy talked using the funny words he was talking about something important. Like how he went to Paris last year with Auntie Jenny almost the WHOLE year and Kate got to live with Dr. Ducky and _his_ Mummy.

"Aunt Jenny agreed to read the Magic School Bus when we get home." Gibbs said.

"Yay!" Kate cried happily. She then spotted a German Sheppard pulling its owner, a thin bond twenty-something woman, down the sidewalk. "Daddy can I have a puppy like that?" she asked sweetly.

Gibbs spotted the dog in his mirror as it approached the stopped car. "I'll think about it."

Kate sighed dramatically and Jenny turned around to face Kate.

"What's up Katie?"

" 'I'll think about it' always means 'No'." Kate explained as she pouted.

Jenny and Jethro couldn't help but laugh at her comical response to the oldest trick in the book; evading a direct answer your child wanted.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**A/N:** I don't know if the assault thing is true or not. Let's just go with it's not and Gibbs was baiting McLaughlin. He's an angry Papa Bear out to protect his baby girl.

The Magic School Bus belongs to Scholastic Books and PBS I think. (Not sure about the PBS part)

The American Girl Doll characters belong to American Girl Doll or whatever the company is called now.

If there are any situations you want to see Kate and Gibbs face PM me and I'll see what I can do about it. There will be times when Kate is six in one chapter, eighteen in the next, and three months old right after that. These will be all out of order. Just a heads up. Enjoy! As always REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!


	3. Do You Want the Bad News or Good News?

Here's the latest chapter in Daddy's Sweetest Gift. This is probably one of the harder chapters I've ever written, considering I kill Gibbs' family for the most part. This is also when Gibbs meets Baby Kate for the very first time. I owe a HUGE thank you to **xofreethelightox** and to **surferdude8225** for reading this while it was still a draft and for catching my comma mistakes. Thanks guys! (xofreethelightox is reading them as draft stages while I'm writing them on paper in school and she totally love baby Kate… I wonder why…)

Anyways the usual disclaimer applies. Not mine. Kate, Raja, and Nana Erica and Nurse Nancy are mine. And Colonel McSweeney is kinda mine… but he's kinda more xofreethelightox's… Anyways, REVIEWS please. Even if it's just "This rocks!" or "Keep it up!" I want to hear from you! And I love anonymous reviews, seeing as I do a lot of anonymous reviews myself when I'm too lazy to log in. (PS this story was 10 pages long on Word without an author's note. With one, it's eleven pages. Sorry about the length…)

In this chapter, Kate is a month and a half old, and has every NIS Agent she's been in contact with wrapped around her teeny tiny doll like little finger.

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**Kuwait, April 1991**

Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs hated sand. It got into everything; in his mouth, his uniform, his gun, goggles, and into some rather uncomfortable areas. Gibbs stood off to the side of his unit's camp, staring off in the direction of Washington DC, imagining himself with pregnant wife and his eight year old daughter. He had already missed so much of Kelly's childhood, and after this tour of duty Gibbs was determined to switch to the reserves or to retire early and join NIS. He wasn't going to miss out on his new child's life. Shannon didn't want to know the sex of the new baby; she wanted it to be a surprise. Shannon had picked the names Andrew Jethro, for a boy, and Caitlin Erica, for a girl. AJ would be named after his father Jethro, and his deceased uncle Andrew, Shannon's older brother who never made it home from 'Nam. Caitlin would be named after her Nana Erica, Jethro's mother. Before he and his family had gone to Camp Pendleton he had jokingly asked Shannon what she would do is she had a set of identical twins. Shannon had just smiled slyly and said 'I'll think of something.'

"Hey Gunny!" Gibbs turned to his right to see Callen coming his way. Callen had just turned nineteen, and was fresh out of boot camp on his first tour of duty. He too was a sniper, and a good kid.

"Callen." Gibbs said. "What's up?"

Callen shrugged and readjusted his sunglasses. "I just got this feeling something wrong is happening somewhere."

Gibbs nodded. His gut was telling him that Shannon, Kelly, and the new baby were in danger. That's why he was facing DC. "Me too, Callen."

"So how far along is your wife, Gunny?" Callen asked conversationally. It was no secret that Gibbs' wife was expecting and he was going stir crazy thinking he'd miss the delivery.

"Shannon's about seven months along." Gibbs said proudly pulling a picture out of his pocket to show Callen.

Callen smiled the smiling young family in the photograph. "You have a beautiful family, Sir."

"Cut the 'Sir' crap." Gibbs told Callen as he took the picture back. "You got any family Callen?"

"Nope. Just me." Callen said. "My mom dumped me into social services when I was a baby and I got shuffled around from foster home to foster home my whole life. I joined the Marines to find a family I guess."

"Sorry to hear that Callen." Gibbs said. "But you've got at least two hundred new brothers in our unit alone."

Both men snorted and Callen shrugged. "I'm used to it. The only thing that burns me though is not knowing what the 'G' stands for."

"What do _you_ want it to stand for?"

Callen thought about it for a minute or two. "I don't know. I don't _feel_ like a George or Greg." He pretended to think about it some more. "Gerald maybe?"

Gibbs laughed and shook his head. "No. You're definitely not a Gerald."

"I know." Callen said sitting down next to Gibbs. The two men sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until both men felt their guts turn sour. Gibbs even shuddered a bit.

Ten minutes late Lance Corporal Johnson approached the duo.

"Gunny Gibbs! Colonel McSweeney wants to see you, Sir!"

Gibbs got up and headed for the Colonel's temporary office; a tent with no flaps, a folding table, a stool and a rock to hold down his paperwork.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Gibbs asked standing at attention in the Colonel's tent.

"At ease Marine." McSweeney said without looking up from the current file he was reading. After a minute the Colonel put the file under the fist sized rock and sighed. "Jethro," he said, searching for the appropriate words. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."

Jethro felt his face fall. "Sir? Did something happen to Shannon and the baby?" Gibbs asked worriedly.

McSweeney sighed and stood up. "There's no easy way to say this Jethro."

"Peter, what happened?" Gibbs demanded.

"There was," Pete took a deep breath to steady himself. This was the kind of news he absolutely loathed informing his men of. "An accident. NIS isn't giving specifics over the phone, but… I'm sorry Jethro." Peter said. "Shannon and Kelly were killed upon impact."

Gibbs felt his knees weaken; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears. He felt the adrenalin rush through his body, making him go numb. Jethro kept hearing "Kelly… Shannon… accident… killed…sorry Jethro…NIS…no specifics…" over and over again in his mind.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" The gut and heart wrenching cry was heard throughout the compound. Gibbs fell to his knees as personal began to gather. "No, no, no, no, no. NO!" He cried again and again. "Not Shannon! Not my baby Kelly! Not out new baby too! Why? Oh God why?!?! WHY!!??"

Callen pushed his way to the front of the spectators and saw Gibbs on the ground. "What happened?" Callen demanded to know from Johnson.

"The Colonel just told him that his family's dead." Johnson whispered. "Scuttlebutt is that it was a Mexican Cartel hit and the Gibbses were under NIS protection when it happened."

"Damn." Callen said shaking his head. "Poor Gibbs."

"MAIL CALL!" Heads whipped around and PFC Singh shoved his way forward. "Got a letter for Gunny Gibbs!"

The men parted like the Red Sea for Moses and let Singh through. Callen grabbed the aforementioned letter from the PFC as he walked by.

"Hey!" Singh protested. "That's the Gunny's mail!"

"Yeah well he just had his heart ripped out of his chest." Callen explained. "This from his recently _deceased_ wife, Raja?"

Raja nodded catching on quickly. "Yeah. It got forwarded from another unit. Turns out there's a Sergeant Major Jethro Gibbs out of Quantico."

"Fascinating." Callen said sarcastically as he looked at the somewhat opened envelope. "The Sarge Major open it?"

Raj nodded. "Yeah he did. He thought it was a letter from his daughter Jenna… HEY!"

Callen had ripped open the envelope ignoring Raja's cry. "Then this isn't a federal offence then is it, Raj?" Callen scanned the letter, and the first paragraph jumped out at him like a co-ed during a wet tee shirt contest during Spring Break.

_Dearest Jethro,_

_Congratulations Daddy! It's a girl! Caitlin Erica Gibbs was born this morning almost a month and a half early at 7:45 am. She weighed 6 lbs. and 7 ounces. I'm told that's big for a premature baby at this stage. Nurse Nancy says that if I had gone to term that little Caitlin would have been 'a bruiser'. _

Callen scanned the rest of the letter and did some quick math. The baby was still in the hospital for observation. That meant the baby had survived the accident. Little Caitlin was alive and was going to need her Daddy very shortly. When Callen looked up from the letter McSweeney and Gibbs had vanished. "Where'd they go, Raj?"

"Snake Bite's tent." The mail officer said pointing to the Medic's tent.

"Thanks." Callen said running, despite the 115 degree heat, to the medic's tent. Callen nearly ripped the door off in his haste to get inside. Captain Johnny Pierce, affectionately known as Snake Bite, was giving Gibbs a sedative as Callen came barreling in. "I got some news for Gibbs, Colonel."

"Good or bad?" McSweeney asked in hushed tones.

"Exceptionately great news, Sir." Callen replied showing McSweeney the letter. "Read it, Pete."

"She survived?" McSweeney asked Callen.

"Yes, Sir. Little Caitlin was born a month and a half early, and is currently spending the month in Prenatal ICU."

"Snake Bite!" McSweeney called out. "Call in a chopper! PFC Callen and Gunny Gibbs are shipping out to Germany tonight."

"Yes, Sir!" Captain Pierce said as he headed for a radio.

"Sir?" Callen asked. "Why am I going too?"

"Because son, you found out first, you get to tell him when he wakes up." McSweeney said. "And those are orders, Marine."

"Sir! Yes Sir!" Callen replied saluting. "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

McSweeney rolled his eyes. "When have you ever needed to ask my permission, G?"

"Since I thought I saw your boss walk by just now, Petey." Callen bit back.

"Oh. Good reason. Shoot G." McSweeney said leading Callen back to his office.

"What happens if Gibbs wants me to go Stateside with him?" Callen asked.

McSweeney raised an eyebrow at him. "Whaddya think, kid? Go with him! He's a superior to you. You follow his orders. Got that through your think skull yet?" McSweeney asked jokingly.

"What about getting written up AWOL?"

"I'll take care of it, don't worry." McSweeney told Callen. "Now go pack up your gear and Gibbs's gear. I doubt either one of you will be back in Kuwait now that the heavy fighting is over."

Callen nodded. "Yes, sir."

"It's a damn shame." Peter said before entering his office. "It had to happen to such a nice family."

Callen nodded, silently agreeing with his CO. '_Gibbs is going to catatonic for quite some time_' Callen thought as he headed for the tent he and the Gunny shared with six other snipers and spotters.

**Germany, Two Days Later**

_Beep. Beep. Beep._ Jethro blinked, forcing his eyes open. The world was just a little too fuzzy for his liking. His mouth felt like one of the wool sweaters Great Aunt Agnes used to send him as a kid had taken up residence in his mouth, and his head felt like it was made out of lead. When Jethro's vision finally cleared up he realized he was in the hospital.

Gibbs slowly turned his head to the left and saw Callen was asleep, or pretending to be asleep, in the bed next to him. "Callen!" Gibbs said sharply causing the younger man to frantically sit up.

"Sir! Yes Sir!" Callen cried up and he flung himself up into a sitting position almost hitting himself in the head with the cast on his right arm.

Gibbs laughed at the younger man's antics.

"Very funny, Gibbs." Callen mumbled lying back down. "GIBBS! You're awake!" As the fact that Gibbs was awake registered with Callen, Gibbs noticed the superficial lacerations that peppered the young man's face.

"What happened to us?" Gibbs inquired.

"Our chopper got caught in a random burst of heavy artillery and we made a 'rough' landing." Callen used air quotes when he said 'rough'. "Your left knee's gonna be screwed up for a bit, and so is your right foot."

"Great." Gibbs said. "Just what I needed. No family and two screwed up legs."

"Au contraire, my friend." Callen said whipping Shannon's letter out from seemingly nowhere. "Your wife delivered a month and a half early."

Callen handed Gibbs the letter and let him read it for himself. "Raja said that it got sent to the wrong Jethro Gibbs."

"Who got it then?" Gibbs asked as he let the sight of his wife's handwriting comfort him.

"Some Sarge Major stationed out of Quantico." Callen replied. "Pete called the hospital at Camp Pendleton and Caitlin is perfectly healthy and ready for her Daddy to come pick her up."

"Why can't my dad or Shannon's parents take her home?" Gibbs inquired.

"I guess the Doc is under orders from NIS not to release Caitlin to anybody other than you. And the four armed NIS agents outside her room at all times seem to back him up." Callen explained. "And they have a standing kill order if any unauthorized personal try to leave the nursery with Caitlin."

Gibbs smiled. Caitlin Erica. His baby girl and new reason to live. "Kate." Gibbs said. "Shannon wanted to call her Kate for short."

"Kate." Callen said settling back into his bed. "I like it."

"So how do you know Pete so well?" Gibbs asked Callen as he fought off sleep.

Callen smiled. "He was my last foster dad. He introduced me to the Corps and boy were we both surprised to be in the same unit after I got out of basic."

Gibbs nodded as he fell asleep, meaning to tell Callen how he had met Peter, but didn't get the chance to.

**Camp Pendleton, One Week Later**

Jethro Gibbs wheeled himself down the hallway and towards the elevator bay. Once he got onto an elevator he pushed the button for the maternity ward and waited to see his daughter. Two off duty nurses were in the car with Gibbs. One of them noticed the borrowed scrubs Gibbs was wearing and his hospital ID Bracelet.

"Trying to escape Gunny?" she asked trying to flirt with him.

"Nope." Gibbs said abruptly. "Going to see my new daughter." Gibbs said as the door opened and he wheeled himself out towards Nancy at the reception desk. "Afternoon Nance."

"Hey, Jethro." Nancy said looking up from her gossip rag. "Mike Franks is waiting with Kate."

"Thanks." Gibbs said as he rolled through the doors. Gibbs smiled when he saw Agent Franks cooing at the infant. The normally gruff man was a surprisingly sweet man around Kate. She seemed to posses the power to turn grown men into babbling idiots.

"Hey, Probie!" Franks greeted his newest agent.

"Mike." Gibbs said as a nurse handed him Kate for the first time. "Hey Princess." He whispered.

Kate's eyes fluttered opened and enthralled her father with their depth and the intensity her young stare seemed to posses.

"Oh, Katie-kins," Gibbs whispered as he kissed her forehead, "You're gonna be a heart breaker."

Kate gurgled in response and snuggled into her father's warmth and fell asleep. Safe, for now, in the arms of her protector.


	4. Fevers and Friends

Here's my latest installment of Daddy's Sweetest Gift and when somebody finds out something they're not supposed to know! Anyways REVIEW when you finish the chapter. I've getting like 200 hits when I post a new chapter and like two reviews, one of which is from my friend! REVIEWS PLEASE!!!!!

Anyways the general disclaimer applies. You recognize them, it's not mine. Kate is and that's that. And so is Beck and Dr. Finch, and Mr. and Mrs. Taylor.

In this chapter Kate is nine years old, and very sick.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Nine year old Kate Gibbs hated being sick. She absolutely loved school, her teachers, the homework, the projects, the tests, and seeing her friends six hours a day for five days out of the week. It was the third week of the fourth grade, and she had come down with a double ear infection and strep throat. Gibbs blamed the pool at the Y where Kate took swim lessons; Kate blamed it on Nick Wells. Nick had been out of school with strep throat the week before, and had come back to school while he was _still_ sick.

Kate was miserable, she was curled up into a ball on the couch in the living room watching PlayHouse Disney and Nick Jr. until the infomercials on Cartoon Network ended. Kate was sick of Dora the Explorer and her little monkey friend Boots; she loved watching Roli Poli Oli, and was currently counting down the hours until Rocket Power of the Power Puff Girls came on. Around lunch time Kate changed the channel from Disney to Cartoon Network hoping to catch Looney Tunes or Ed, Edd, and Eddy. Instead she found Tom & Jerry. She preferred Looney Tunes, but beggars can't be choosers, and settled further into the couch wishing Mrs. Ducky didn't have to go to the doctors that day. As Kate felt herself drifting off to sleep, she could have sworn she saw her Mommy in the kitchen humming the lullaby her Dad used to sing her when she was a baby.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Gibbs watched his team cautiously. It was 11:45, close enough to lunch for him to sneak out un-noticed to check up on Kate. Mrs. Mallard had recently begun showing signs of dementia and Alzheimer's, so Ducky had taken his mother to the doctor's office that day, leaving Gibbs sitter less, and Kate home alone for the first time in her life. Jenny was on assignment in Europe, _again_, so Gibbs couldn't even call his oh-so-secret third wife to check up on Kate. _'Hell_', Gibbs thought, '_Ducky doesn't even know Jenn and I got married when Kate was seven!_'

After another minute of inner debate, Gibbs stood up, dropped his empty coffee cup into the trash, and headed for the elevator bay.

"Hey Boss! Where you going?" Gibbs turned to see his junior field agent, Tony DiNozzo, trying to catch his attention.

"Home, DiNozzo." Gibbs said pushing the _down_ button. "It's lunch time."

"Oh." The younger man said. "I have a ton of questions about all the procedures and the naval terms," DiNozzo said.

Gibbs sighed. He _could_ make the new agent wait in the car while he popped in to check up on Kate. "Come on." Gibbs said stepping on the elevator.

"Thanks, Boss." DiNozzo said following Gibbs.

The elevator ride was silent and so was the car ride, for the most part.

"How do you like NCIS, DiNozzo?" Gibbs inquired as the two men sat in the Beltway traffic.

"It's been a good first month Boss." Tony said honestly. "It's different from working Homicide with Baltimore PD or Philly PD."

"What did you want to ask?" Gibbs said as he directed the car into the exit lane her wanted.

"Uhh…" Tony looked a little guilty. "Can you explain your rules? I'm trying to keep them all straight, but I'm having a little trouble."

Gibbs chuckled. "You got a pad of paper ready?"

Tony nodded and whipped out a notebook and a pen.

"Rule Number One; NEVER put multiple suspects in a room together."

"Okay," Tony said as he scribbled it down. "What else?"

"Rule Number One B; never screw (over) your partner." Gibbs said. "That doesn't count now, because Jacobson is transferring to Rota next week, but when you get a partner it's incredibly important."

"Got that Boss." Tony said. "Why's Jacobson leaving?"

"His mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer and his wife wants to be closer to her mother." Gibbs said. "Director Morrow agreed and signed off on the transfer request."

Tony nodded. "Poor guy. Next rule?"

Gibbs smiled. This kid was like a dog with a bone; he wasn't going to give up. In a way, Tony reminded Gibbs of himself the first time he'd ever worked with NCIS, then NIS, back in '91. Gibbs just chuckled and continued informing the new Special Agent about his rules and the NCIS expectations as they headed for his house.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

When Gibbs and DiNozzo arrived at Gibbs' house, Kate was starting to stir from her nap; her fever was starting to rise again, despite the antibiotics in her system.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs started. "Stay here. I'll be right out." Gibbs said getting out of the car.

"Fine Boss." DiNozzo replied, opening up a case file he had brought along. "I'll be here if you need me."

Gibbs opened the front door and found Kate sprawled out on the couch, the TV volume as low as it would go, and all of Kate's blankets kicked off of her on the floor.

"Kate." Gibbs said shaking her awake. "Sweetie, time to wake up."

"Daddy?" Kate mumbled, fighting to open her eyes. "I'm hot. Really, really hot." Kate cried. "I can't get cold! I tried putting the peas on my forehead, but it didn't work!"

Sure enough there was a bag of frozen peas on the coffee table, and Gibbs felt Kate's forehead. His hand recoiled in shock. Her forehead was on fire! Gibbs left Kate in the living room and rooted around the kitchen until he found the thermometer in a cabinet full of pain relievers.

"Can you sit up for me Princess?" Gibbs asked Kate as he came back into the living room.

"No." Kate said crying now. "I'm trying, but I can't!"

Gibbs helped her sit up, and placed the thermometer in his daughter's ear. He prayed that her fever would be below 101.5, but his prayers weren't answered. The thermometer beeped, and Gibbs checked the screen. "Damn." He growled. The display screen read 103.5 degrees.

Gibbs lay Kate back down, and slid his arms under her back and knees, picking her up bridal style and headed for the car. "DINOZZO!" Gibbs yelled.

Tony looked up and saw his boss carrying a little girl out of his house. "Boss, what happened?"

"Just open the damn door!" Gibbs ordered, and Tony scrambled out of the front seat to open a door for Gibbs.

Gibbs placed Kate in the backseat, buckled her up, and raced around to the driver's seat.

"Where are we going Boss? Who is she?" Tony asked Gibbs, as the aforementioned man flipped on the sirens and lights in the car.

"The hospital DiNozzo." Gibbs growled. "My daughter's fever is 103.5 degrees."

"Crap." Tony said looking back at the little girl, who was starting to shiver. "Pull over." Tony said.

"WHAT?" Gibbs demanded.

"Pull over and I'll get in the back with her." Tony said. "Look at her Boss! She keeps flopping over every time you make a turn!"

Gibbs noted his agent had a point and pulled over to allow Tony to move in the back with Kate. Once Tony was buckled in, Gibbs floored it, causing Tony to reach for the "Oh SHIT!" handle in the back.

After ten nerve racking minutes, a record speed for Gibbs, and a short stop for Kate to get sick, the trio arrived at the hospital and Gibbs threw the NCIS car into park and raced to the back to help Tony get Kate out of the car.

"Hey!" Gibbs turned to see a hospital security guard coming their way. "You can't park there!"

Gibbs had parked the car in an emergency vehicle only space. Gibbs pulled out his NCIS badge and showed it to the security guard. "Yeah, I can. My daughter has a 103 degree fever." He growled out. "Now unless you want me to shoot you, get out of my way!" The frightened security guard did just that, allowing Tony to carry Kate into the Emergency Room.

"We need a doctor over here!" Tony yelled as soon as he and Kate crossed the threshold to the ER.

A nurse saw Tony carrying the now unconscious Kate and directed them to an empty bed. "What happened?" The nurse demanded to know.

"I don't know." Tony answered truthfully. "She's my boss's daughter, and we left our office about a half hour ago and he stopped at his place, and next thing I know he's running out his front door telling me his daughter has a 103.5 degree fever."

"Where did her father go?" The nurse asked as she scribbled down Tony's story.

"He was right behind me when we came in…" Tony said searching the ER waiting room behind them. "BOSS!" he yelled catching sight of Jethro's graying hair.

Gibbs saw Tony and pushed his way, politely, through the crowd of people blocking his path. "Is she going to be okay?" Gibbs asked the nurse nervously as an ER team wheeled Kate's gurney into a private room to try to lower her body temperature.

"First we need your daughter's name and any medication allergies." Wanda, the nurse said.

"Caitlin Erica Gibbs," Jethro said as he pulled Kate's health insurance card out of his wallet and handed it to Wanda. "She's allergic to morphine and bee stings, and I think shell fish. She's on antibiotics for a double ear infection and strep throat. She's nine years old, and this is the first time I've left her alone. Her mom's in Europe and her normal sitter had a doctor's appointment and I just thought she'd be fine. And I don't want to lose her too…" Gibbs said trailing off.

Gibbs's last comment piqued Tony's interest, but he didn't say anything. "She'll be fine, Boss. The doc will probably just up her meds and she'll be coming home in two or three days." Tony said trying to cheer up his boss. "I'll call Jacobson and tell him we'll be back late because your daughter…"

"Don't." Gibbs said. "Jacobson doesn't know about Kate. You wouldn't either if she wasn't this sick." Wanda had left the two men in a private waiting room as Kate was being treated for privacy.

"Why not boss?" Tony asked.

"Nine years ago when Kate was a month old," Gibbs said, "My first wife Shannon, and my older daughter Kelly were killed in a car accident after leaving the hospital at Camp Pendleton. Shannon and Kelly were under NIS protection because Shannon had witnessed the murder of a Marine by a drug dealer, and the dealer's cartel put a hit out on Shannon."

Tony closed his eyes, he couldn't believe that had to happen to his boss's family. "What caused the accident, Boss?"

"Somebody shot the NIS agent driving the van, it spun out of control and killed Shannon and Kelly upon impact. When I found out, I was in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, and had to be sedated to keep me from attempting suicide." Gibbs said fighting back tears as he remembered the worst day of his life. "It wasn't until a week later that I found our Kate had been born premature. My chopper got shot down on its way to the airport and the other Marine I was with and I spent a week in Frankfurt, Germany. It took five days for me to wake up, and when I did, Callen told me Kate was alive. I waited _another_ week before I was allowed to leave my room at Camp Pendleton to go see Kate. I've kept her a secret from everyone because the Mexican cartel responsible for my family's death has their fingers in many pies."

Tony nodded understanding. "I'm sorry about your family Boss."

Gibbs nodded, letting DiNozzo's apology slide this one time. "It also helps that I tracked down the bastard that pulled the trigger and killed him myself."

Tony smiled. "That sounds like something Rambo would do."

"Rambo?" Gibbs asked curiously.

"Yeah, Rambo. It's a classic Boss! Sylvester Stallone, 1982 movie? Ringing any bells?" Tony asked. "Spawned about a million and a half sequels, well actually there's only three Rambo movies, but…"

"I get it DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "I need to go call the Director. He'll cover for us."

"Alright Boss." Tony said as he picked up a month old copy of Entertainment Weekly.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Three hours later Dr. Andrew Finch came into the waiting room to find six empty coffee cups from Gibbs alone, and Tony DiNozzo asleep, sprawled out over the couch in the room.

"I'm looking for Mister Jethro Gibbs?" Dr. Finch said looking between the two men.

"That would be me." Gibbs said. "Is Kate going to be alright?"

Dr. Finch nodded. "She probably picked up some bacteria at school or her pediatricians office. We've called both to inform them and to suggest a thorough disinfecting session."

Gibbs nodded. "How long is she going to have to stay in the hospital?"

Dr. Finch shrugged. "Right now it's touch and go. We've managed to stabilize her temperature for now, and depending on when her fever breaks we can move Kate out of the ICU into her own room."

Gibbs sighed. "When can we see her?"

"He family?" Dr. Finch asked jerking his thumb towards Tony.

"Yeah." Gibbs said. "He's Kate's step-brother."

"You guys can go up and see her in about ten minutes. Somebody will come and get you." Finch said heading for the door. "Oh, and here's my card. If you have any questions about anything when Kate gets released, just give my office a call and I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks." Gibbs said.

"Semper Fi." Finch said opening the door.

Gibbs chuckled. He should have known Finch was a Marine. "Semper Fi." Gibbs replied to the doctor and sank back down into his chair.

Tony stirred and rubbed his eyes. "Did the doc just leave?"

Gibbs nodded and Tony sat up, and tried to straighten his rumpled shirt. "What he say?"

"It's touch and go for now. I also told him that your Kate's step-brother." Gibbs admitted sheepishly. "I figured you'd want to see her, and it's family only."

Tony smiled. "It's fine Gibbs. I've always wanted to be a big brother."

Gibbs smiled back. "Good. Because Kate's always wanted an older brother. She knows she had an older sister, and Abby stepped in to fill those shoes years ago."

Tony nodded and the two men sat in the waiting room shooting the breeze until a nurse came to get them.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Two days after Kate had been rushed to the hospital, Abby was sitting with Kate when another little girl was brought into Kate's room in the Pediatric Ward.

"Hiya!" Kate said greeting the other girl. "I'm Kate and this is Abby. She's kinds like my big sister."

"Hi." The red head said. "I'm Becky. My mom's talking to my doctor now."

"Why are you here?" Kate asked. Abby looked up from her Journal of Forensic Sciences.

"Kate," Abby said. "I don't think that's the nicest thing to ask in the hospital."

"It's okay." Becky said. "I'm getting' my tonsils and adenoids out today. Mom says I get to eat all the popsicles, and slushies, and ice cream I wanna after. I even get to have some CafPow!, and she never lets me have CafPow! How come you're here?"

"I had a double ear infection and strep throat, and Dr. Finch thinks I mighta had meningitis too. But he doesn't know for sure 'cuz I'm better now." Kate said. "I get to go home tomorrow or Saturday. And my Dad said when I get home, Mom's gonna be back from… Where'd she go again Abby?"

"I don't know." Abby said. "I think your Mom went to either Germany or the Czech Republic. But I'm not sure. You think you're gonna be okay alone until Gibbs or Tony gets here?" Abby asked.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Yeah Abby. I'll be fine. It's not like some ax murderer or somebody's gonna break into a hospital to kidnap me."

"Cute." Abby said getting up and hugging Kate. "I'm sorry I have to go now Sweetie. I really hate court."

"I know you do Abs. Good Luck!" Kate said. "Abby's a forensic scientist." Kate informed Becky proudly. "She helps me with my science homework sometimes and puts my hair in pigtails when I ask her to."

"Lucky!" Becky said. "My Mama helps me sometimes, but Dad says I'm supposed to do it on my own."

"My Dad says that too, until he gets confused and says, 'I give up! Go see Abby in her lab downstairs. And don't break Major Mass Spec!'" Kate had dropped her voice down an octave to mimic her father, and it left both girls in stitches.

"Hey!" Tony said opening the door to the room. "What's so funny Squirt?"

"Nuthin'." Kate said smirking.

"Aha! I know that smirk! You're up to no good!" Tony said as he took off his jacket. "And don't think I'm gonna rat you two out. Let me in on it."

Becky giggled even harder. "You're funny."

"I do try." Tony said. "Tony DiNozzo. And you are Miss?" Tony asked, as he bowed ridicously making the girls laugh even harder.

"Beck Taylor." Becky said.

"It's nice to meet you Lady Becky Taylor of the lovely Taylor family." Tony said. The girls were now gasping for breath at Tony's antics. "Am I really that funny?"

"Yuppers!" Kate said. "When you've been cooped up in the hospital for this long Tony, you're the funniest thing EVER!"

"I'll take that as a complement." Tony said. "But I've got some slightly bad news for you."

"What?" Kate asked. "Mom's flight got delayed?"

"Worse." Tony said opening up his backpack. "Make up work."

Kate groaned and turned off the TV in front of her bed. "Why did Dad hafta talk to Mrs. Donaldson yesterday?"

"He's just making sure you're not falling behind after your lengthy absence." Tony replied handing Kate the purple folder. "Good luck with this by the way."

"Why?" Kate asked as she flipped through it.

"Your Dad banned Abby from helping you with any of your math and science homework." Tony explained. "But if you want my help, I'm free whenever you need me."

"Really?" Kate asked hopefully.

"Really." Tony replied. "I also managed to sneak _Mary Poppins_ and _Aladdin_ if you want to watch them."

"What about _Titanic_?" Kate asked hopefully.

"And have Gibbs kill me for exposing your delicate eyes to that trash? No way Jose!" Tony answered. "I'll be right back. I forgot my phone in my car."

"You have Mrs. Donaldson?" Becky asked Kate.

"Yup." Kate replied as she began to tackle the pile of work her fourth grade teacher had sent her way. "Why?"

"I have Ms. Dines." Becky said excitedly. "I didn't know you went to George Washington Carver!"

"No way!" Kate said. "_You're_ the Becky Taylor?"

"The Becky Taylor?" Becky echoed.

"Yeah, you know? Did you really kick Billy Ridgeway where it hurts in third grade?" Kate asked. "Cause every girl in the fourth grade is in your debt."

"I did." Becky said. "Only because he hit me in the face with a soccer ball and it hurt _a lot_."

"In kindergarten Tommy McLaughlin pulled my hair and pushed me off a swing so I sucker punched him in the stomach and then gave him a black eye."

"No way!" Becky said. "You're _that_ Kate Gibbs?"

"Yup." Kate said. "After that for the most part the older boys have been afraid of me. It's kinda funny. My neighbor Wendell was afraid of me for almost a year. Then his mom offered to babysit me one night, and we've been friends ever since."

"That's cool." Becky said. "I don't have many friends."

"How come?" Kate asked.

"Because my Dad's a Marine. We move around a lot." Becky said.

"Really?" Kate asked. "My Dad used to be a Marine too! He's got a Purple Heart and everything! But now he works for NCIS."

"Really?" Becky asked. "I wish my Dad would retire and get a normal job so we wouldn't have to move all the time."

"I'd hate to move all the time." Kate said. "I had to move once. Twice actually. My Mom and Dad were in Paris for a whole year so I had to live with my babysitter, Mrs. Ducky and her son Dr. Ducky the whole time."

"Lucky. I've moved like a million times. I've never ever finished one grade at the same school. Ever." Becky said.

"Wanna be best friends?" Kate asked. "We can write letters and send pictures even if you do move again."

"Okay." Becky said. "I've never had a best friend before."

"Dad says there's always time for something new." Kate said.

"What I miss?" Tony asked as he and Mr. and Mrs. Taylor came back in.

"Not much Tony." Kate said.

"Guess what Mom?" Becky asked her mom excitedly.

"What?" Mrs. Taylor responded.

"Me and Kate are gonna be best friends!" Becky said. "We're gonna write letters and postcards and send lots of stuff to each other when I move away."

Mr. Taylor laughed. "No you won't Becks."

"Why not?" Becky asked, starting to sound upset.

"We don't have to move anymore." Mr. Taylor said happily. "I've got a semi-permanent position at the Pentagon. If anybody has to move, it'll be me for a couple of months a year."

"Yay!!!" Becky cried. "You hear that Kate? I don't have to move!"

Kate's grin grew incredibly wide. "Wanna come over and see my house when you get out of the hospital? Dad's building a sailboat in our basement."

"Can I Mom?" Becky asked. "Please?"

"We'll see." Mrs. Taylor said. Her baby girl was growing up, and she finally had a best friend. "But as long as it's fine with Kate's parents," she looked over at Tony.

"Don't look at me." Tony said. "I'm the goofball surrogate big brother. Her dad's on his way in now."

Just as Tony finished speaking, the door to the room opened again and Gibbs came in. "Speak of the devil," Tony said.

"Watch it DiNozzo." Gibbs said.

"Gotcha, Boss." Tony replied. "Need anything Kate?"

"Nope." Kate answered. "Thanks for the movies."

"No problem, Squirt." Tony said. "I'll see you tomorrow." Tony got up and left.

"Daddy?" Kate asked sweetly. "Can Becky come over after she gets out of the hospital and we're both all better? Please?"

Gibbs sighed. "I'm not even in the door two minutes…" He smiled. "As long as it's okay with her parents."

"It's fine with us, Mr.…"

"Gibbs." Jethro replied. "Jethro Gibbs. Why don't we swap numbers now? Knowing my daughter, she's just made a friend for life."

The three parents quickly exchanged contact information before Becky's surgery, and Gibbs sat down in the vacated chair by Kate's bed.

"So, you want me to read to you Princess?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, please!" Kate said packing up her school work. "What book did you bring Daddy?"

"_Little Town on the Prairie_," Gibbs said.

"Oh! I haven't read it yet!" Kate said excitedly. "Can you start now?"

"Sure thing Princess." Gibbs said opening the book. "_One evening at supper, Pa asked, "How would you like to work in town, Laura?..."_

As Jethro read the story, Kate was plunged into the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the American West during the 1800s. And she enjoyed every minute of the story her Dad read her during her stay in the hospital.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Sorry about the length. I just sat down in front of the keyboard and this came spewing out on Sunday and today. REVIEWS please!!!! And I'm sorry if Tony or Abby seemed out of character. Gibbs is supposed to be freaking out in that earlier bit; he's worried Kate was gonna die. But she's fine. So enjoy!


	5. Veterans Day Cards

"Daddy?" Kate asked her father. "What's Vetans Day?"

Gibbs looked up from his paper. "Vetans Day?"

"Uh huh! Mrs. Walsh said Vetans Day is on Wednesday." Kate replied. "She said a vetan is somebody that used to be in the Army."

Jethro got it now. "Veterans Day Kate," he began, "is when the people of the United States honor the men and women that served in the Armed Forces, not just the Army."

"Oh." Kate said. She put down the coloring book she had been dragging across the living room floor and climbed up into her father's lap. "Do you know any Vet-er-ans?"

"I most certainly do." Jethro replied. "Let's see, there's Grampy Jack, he was in the Air Force in World War II; Callen is a Marine veteran. He's the one that told me that you were waiting for me at the hospital."

"Really?" Kate inquired; her eyes once again were comically large. "What's a Mawine?"

Jethro couldn't help but chuckle at the five year olds antics. With a little persuasion, Mrs. Mallard had convinced Jethro to enroll Kate in preschool for three days a week. Kate loved it. Jethro, not so much. His baby girl was growing up a little too quickly for his liking. "A Marine is a special kind of soldier." Jethro said. "He or she has to be really brave and strong. They can't be afraid of anything, and they need to help people."

"Okay." Kate said. "Daddy, did you really tell Wendell's mommy that you were a vet-er-an?"

Jethro nodded. "I am a veteran, Kate. When I found out that you were born, and Mommy and Big Sister Kelly were hurt, I was a Marine in Kuwait."

"Where's that?" Kate asked innocently.

"Very, very, far away from here." Gibbs said. "Why don't we go watch _Sesame Street_?"

"Okay." Kate said. The little girl was as obsessed as you could get with Elmo. "Can I have a Tickle Me Elmo for Christmas, Daddy?"

"You have to ask Santa when we go see him at the mall." Gibbs instructed, as he turned on the TV and found PBS. "We'll go see him after Thanksgiving."

"Okay." Kate said as she settled into the chair. "Daddy, can we watch Elmo at the fire station?"

"Sure, Princess." Gibbs found the video and put it in the VCR. "I'm going to go make lunch. Do you want a peanut butter and jelly?"

"Nope." Kate said. "Peanut butter and fluff, please."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. He should have known better to let his father introduce his daughter to the addicting marshmallow substance from Massachusetts.

After the video was over, Kate went to work in the Marine Corps coloring book somebody had given her. "Daddy?"

"Yes Kate." Gibbs said

"Do you know any other vet-er-ans besides Callen and Grampy and you?" Kate asked. "I wanna make them cards for their holiday."

Jethro just chuckled. "Why don't you just make one card and I'll make sure it gets mailed to the person in charge of all the veterans."

"Okay." Kate went back to work. "What colors should I use?"

"Red, white, and blue." Gibbs said. "Those are the colors of the US flag."

Kate selected the aforementioned colors and went to work. After dinner and Kate had gone to bed, Gibbs found the card in his arm chair in the living room. On the front was a drawing of Kate, her stuffed dog Teddy, and himself. There was a sun, green grass, and stick people with little American flags. In Kate's clumsy handwriting were the words, "Tank You," in purple.

Jethro opened the card and there were some legible letters, but mainly scribbles in red and blue with stars in the same colors. It was sweet and Jethro knew who was getting the original when he made copies of it in the office.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

On the day before Veterans Day, G Callen opened his PO Box in Los Angeles and found a card envelope from his old Gunny, Jethro Gibbs.

_Callen,_

_Kate asked me what a veteran was this past week and I explained it to her. She made this card as a way to say 'thank you', and the day after she made it, Kate came barreling down stairs demanding I send it to you. Originally she wanted me to send it to the President, but then she decided you deserved it more. She's also decided that you're part of our family and it's my duty to now invite you to DC for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Kate will not accept 'No' as an answer son. _

_Before I send this off Kate told me to tell you, that you deserve this card because you "'intoduceded' me and Daddy." She sees you as a big brother now for some reason, despite not even remembering meeting you after we were released from the hospital at Camp Pendleton. Kids. You've got to love them. Also on the orders of Princess Kate, is a photo from Halloween. She was a 'Ballerina Princess Army Girl". Mrs. Mallard and I talked her out of the Army Girl part before I took her out trick-or-treating, Thank God._

_See you soon._

_Semper Fi._

_Gibbs._

Callen opened the envelope up further and teared up when he saw the card. It was the cutest, most innocent thing he'd ever received from anybody. In the clumsy hands of a child was the 'Thank You' and recognition of his actions he'd always craved. Plus he now had a surrogate family that wanted him.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**November 11, 2009 – Veterans Day. Los Angeles, California**

Callen heard his alarm go off and he shut it off. He'd set if by accident; he didn't have to work today. Hetty had given the team the day off because of the significance of the holiday. Most undercover ops wouldn't have halted for Veterans Day, but Hetty's teams stopped for it. Half of her people were vets or had family that were vets. Callen and Sam included.

Callen was pulled back out of sleep when his cell phone began to ring. "Hello?" he said sleepily.

"Oh my God! I'm soooooo sorry G-man!" It was Kate Gibbs. "I keep forgetting about the three hour time difference."

"That, my darling little sister, is what you say every time this happens." Callen said. "And it's seven am. Not that early."

"Well it's eleven out here in Woburn, Mass." Kate replied. The eighteen year old was a freshman at Salem State College, and was planning to major in Elementary Education.

"Good for you East Coast people." Callen said. "Why are you calling again?"

"Because it's Veterans Day." Kate replied. "I'm just checking up on my favorite veterans."

"Did you call your Dad and Grampy yet?" Callen asked as he rolled out of bed. He was staying at a no-tell motel until he could find a place he liked.

"Called Gramps first. I figured he'd be at the store already."

"Was he?"

"Well, Duh Callen! It's Jackson!" Kate said laughing. "Becky says 'Hey', by the way."

"Right back at her." Callen said. "So why are you calling?"

"Fine." Kate huffed. "Becky and I were talking about how we were first introduced to Veterans Day, and you and the card came up. I was just wondering if you still had it."

"Of course I do!" Callen said. "Along with the picture of you Gibbs sent with it and the pictures from Thanksgiving and Christmas that year."

Kate laughed and then stopped. "If those end up on Eric's MySpace of Facebook, you G Callen are a dead man."

"Gotcha." Callen said. "I found the card and pictures!"

"Great." Kate said. "Can you bring them out for Thanksgiving? Becky's coming to DC this year." The Taylors had relocated to Woburn, MA, during Kate and Becky's senior year in high school. Mr. Taylor had finally retired from the Corp, and he and Mrs. Taylor had decided it was time to go home and introduce their children to the city where their parents had met.

"Alright, Squirt." Callen said. "I gotta go actually. I'm meeting Sam and Jean for brunch at their place."

"Have fun Gforce!" Kate said laughing. Ever since that gerbil, hamster movie had come out, Kate cracked up every time an old friend addressed Callen as 'Gforce'.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

In Woburn, Mass, Kate and Becky stood with Mrs. Taylor in the crowd on the common. Becky's younger siblings, Holly and Robbie, twins, were in the high school marching band behind the Civil War monument. Staff Sgt. Taylor was the youngest man with the Marines with the riffles by the flag pole across the common from the crowd. The other men were positively ancient; but still, they were Marines. The few, the proud.

"You know, Becky." Kate said to her best friend as the band was directed to their own patch of the common. "I think my favorite Veterans Day was last year."

"Why?" Becky asked.

"Because I got to go to the Marine Corp Birthday Ball." Kate whispered back.

"And not because Cprl. Yost left you his Medal of Honor in his will?" Becky asked.

Cprl. Yost had come into NCIS one day in 2004 claiming to have murdered his best friend. Mr. Yost was eventually cleared of the charges he insisted on being brought up against him when Kate's Dad realized Yost was reliving two nights from Iwo Jima as one night. Afterwards the Gibbs family and Cprl Yost came became good friends. When Ernie Yost had passed on the year before, he left Kate his Medal of Honor and all the pictures from his home. A lot of other seemingly insignificant stuff was left to Team Gibbs, and it was quickly discovered the Ernie Yost had been sitting on the proverbial gold mine with all of his records and early recordings of various television programs.

"Well, that too." Kate said. "I know my Dad's favorite Veterans Day was the one before he deployed to Kuwait. And last years."

"Really?" Becky asked. "Why?"

"Because it was the last one he had the whole family for. I mean with my Mom and Kelly and little ol' me. Of course I hadn't been born yet." Kate said. "And last year, it was him, me, Jenny, Jay-jay, and Callen. A whole new family."

"Whatever." Becky said. "Now hush. They're starting the ceremony." The two girls quickly quieted down and stood at attention while the names of the fallen Woburnites was read and Staff Sgt. Taylor was recognized by the community.

When Kate and Becky made it back to the Freshman Dorms at Salem State, Kate found she had a package that had been delivered after she had left the night before.

Kate opened it to find a copy of the card she had sent Callen all those years ago, and a new one from Jay-jay.

A hastily scribbled note from her step mother informed Kate that her four year old brother had demanded to make a card like the one Kate had made and to send it to Callen as well. Callen got the original and Kate got a copy to keep with hers. It was now a Gibbs family tradition to make a thank you card for the veterans in their family every year starting around five. Callen, Jethro, and Jackson certainly had the cards to prove it.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**A/N** I decided that this story needed a Veterans Day chapter. And here it is! Part of it was inspired by a conversation I had with xofreethelightox after our town's Veterans Day festivities. We're both in the band at our school btw and band class is where we get out creative juices flowing. There will be more on Jay-jay and who he is in a later chapter. I haven't decided when yet. Next up however, will be Kate moving into her dorm room and a college that's pretty far away from DC.

And Callen will be making some more appearences in this AU NCIS world. I feel like Gibbs wants to include him in his family. Callen needs a family and I think the broken and surragate extended Gibbs family needs Callen.

But anyways, REVIEWS Please!!!!


	6. Hiatus Part One

So I know I said that Kate moving into her dorm at Salem State was next. But I got blackmailed into posting this chapter next. The payout for posting this will be well worth it though. I'm not telling what I'm getting, but it'll be well worth mixing up the random order this story will be going in.

In this chapter Kate is sixteen, and is kinda fed up with school in general. because she's _this _close to summer vacation REVIEWS I NEED THEM!!!!!

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate sat in her math class completely oblivious to the events on the dock the night before. While her mom and Abby had scrabbled to get to Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Kate and Becky had been swapping ghost stories and fashion tips.

Today however was a different story. "Miss Gibbs," Mr. Sullivan said. "Ms. Donovan wants to see you in her office."

Kate sat up puzzled. "Did she say why?"

"No. She mentioned that your mother is here however." Mr. Sullivan said as he filled out a hall pass.

"Okay." Kate said picking up her messenger bag. "Do we have homework tonight?"

"Not tonight." The class of sophomores cheered. "I'm hoping you aren't in trouble." Mr. Sullivan added.

"Me too." Kate said. "Bye, Mr. Sullivan."

Kate walked down the hallway, down three flights of stairs and down another hall to the main office. Kate opened the office door and slid in. "Uh…" Kate said to the secretary. "Ms. Donovan wants to see me."

The secretary looked up from her computer and pointed to the principal's office and returned to the romance novel propped up on the keyboard.

Kate opened the door and saw her Mom and Ms. Donovan conversing quietly. "Hey, Mom." Kate said.

"Hi, Honey." Jenny replied as she stood up and wiped her eyes. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"OH MY GOD!!!" Kate said dropping her bag to the ground. "Who got hurt?"

Jenny smiled sadly. "Your Dad was caught in an explosion last night…"

"No! No, no, no, no, NO!!" Kate cried as she ran to her mom and threw her arms around her. "Is he gonna be okay?" She asked as she buried her head in Jenny's neck.

"I don't know, Sweetie." Jen admitted. "He's in a coma right now, and Tony and the team are trying to find a missing suspect and finding the person responsible for setting the bomb off."

Kate began to cry even harder. "I wanna go see Daddy."

"I know Katie-Pie," Jenny said using her old nickname for Kate. "I know."

"Take as much time as you need from school." Ms. Donovan said handing Kate a box of tissues. "Your absences will be excused until your father's injuries have been _fully_ healed."

"Thank you, Ms. Donovan." Jenny said. "We appreciate this."

"It's the least I can do." The matronly principal said as she ushered the upset Gibbses out of her office. "I do hope Mr. Gibbs makes a full recovery quickly."

"Me too." Kate said. "Thanks again Ms. Donovan."

"Good bye Kate, Mrs. Gibbs." Mrs. Donovan said.

Jenny and Kate got into the back of one of Jenny's black Lincoln Town Cars once Kate had been signed out, and sped off towards Portsmouth Naval Hospital.

"Mommy, I'm scared." Kate admitted. Jenny was stunned. Never in the eleven years Jenny had known Kate, had Kate called Jenny 'Mommy'. 'Mommy' was especially reserved for Shannon, her birth mother.

"I know, Kay. You've got to be strong for your Dad." Jenny said squeezing Kate's hand. "He's going to need us when he wakes up."

Kate nodded, the tears falling freely. "I want my Daddy!" she whimpered, "I want him to wake up now!"

"Oh, Baby." Jenny crooned. "Demetri." She snapped.

"Yes, Madam Director?" the driver, Demetri, responded.

"Step on it. I don't care how many traffic laws we break, SPEED!" Jenny ordered. "Better yet, drive like Officer David."

Demetri laughed. "Yes Ma'am." He replied. "You and Miss Kate may wish to tighten your seatbelts and hold on."

The two quickly adjusted their safety belts and grabbed the 'Oh Shit!', or as Kate used to call them, the 'ocean' handles as Demetri expertly weaved his way through the DC traffic.

"Where'd you learn to drive like this?" Kate asked.

"Watching NASCAR!" Demetri replied as they dodged a Metro bus. "And the Jason Bourne movies."

"Oh." Kate said and gripped the handle even tighter. She'd seen the state of the cars Jason Bourne used in the chase scenes. Those cars were barely drivable by the end of the chase.

Despite Demetri's erratic driving, Jenny and Kate made it to Portsmouth in one piece.

"We're here to see NCIS Senior Special Agent Gibbs." Jenny told the nurse throwing out Jethro's full title.

The head nurse just sighed and buzzed them into the trauma wing. After all, wouldn't you let the woman who had Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, on speed dial in?

"Is Dad alone?" Kate asked as they made their way to the ICU.

"No." Jenny said. "Abby's with him."

"I meant does he have his own room." Kate said.

"Oh," Jen said. "Yes, in that sense, Jethro is alone."

"Can I stay until he wakes up?" Kate inquired hopefully. "Cuz that's what he and Tony did in shifts that one time Dr. Finch thought I had meningitis while you were in Europe."

"When was that?" Jenny asked.

"September of 2000." Kate replied. "That's how Becky and I met."

"Oh, yes." Jenny said as the stepped off the elevator. "Now I remember."

"KATIE!!!!" Kate spun to the right to see Abby heading their way.

"ABBY!!!!" Kate cried back and sprinted to Abby. The two connected in a hug that had Abby lifting Kate up and spinning her in a circle.

"Oh Sweetie! This is so scary!" Abby said as she squeezed Kate.

"I know!" Kate sobbed. "I just want him to wake up."

"We all do, Kate." Jenny added. "We all do."

"Which room is his?" Kate asked.

"This one," Abby said as she pulled Kate into the room.

"Oh, Daddy." Kate said as she started to cry again.

Jethro's head was wrapped in white gauze and bandages. Half of his face, the half not facing the door, was covered in burned skin. His complection was pale, and there was a breathing tube down his throat. Kate couldn't tell if there was anything else wrong because of the blanket up to his chest.

"Do you think he'll wake up soon?" Kate asked, her voice sounding small.

"I don't know." Jen admitted. "The doctor said he could wake up today or next month."

"How long was he in a coma for when I was born?" Kate asked, and idea forming in her mind.

"I don't know." Jen reiterated.

"Can I call Callen and ask him?" Kate requested. "Please?"

"Here" Jenny said handing Kate her BlackBerry. "The Los Angeles OSP office number is in here."

"Thanks, Mom." Kate said accepting the phone. Kate stepped out into the hallway to make the call.

"OSP LA." A voice said as the phone was answered. "This is Eric."

"Is Callen there?" Kate asked as she sunk to the floor.

"Uh, nope." Eric said. "May I ask who's calling?"

"Kate Gibbs." Kate replied as she began to hug her knees. "Can you tell him that 'The Gunny got himself blown up and he's in a coma' please?"

"Sure thing." Eric said. "Does 'The Gunny' have a name?"

"Gibbs." Kate said as she wiped her face. "Actually, do you know where he is?"

"On assignment." Eric said. "It's obviously top secret, as this is the Office of Special Projects."

"Hold on a sec." Kate said. She got up and opened the door to her Dad's room. "Hey, Mom?"

"What, Kate?"

"Can you make Eric tell me where Callen is, please?" Kate asked holding the BlackBerry out to her Mom.

"Sure." Jen said getting up from the cot in Jethro's room. "I'll be right back Abby."

"Okay, Director. I mean Jenny. I mean Director Jenny." Abby said. "I'll just be quiet now. Just hurry incase the Bossman decides to wake up."

"Alright, Abbs."Jenny said. "Eric?" she said into the phone sweetly.

"Yeah? I'm still here." Eric said. "Like I have anywhere else to be today, like the beach." The computer whiz/surfer added.

"This is Director Sheppard." Jenny said.

"Director!" Eric shouted. You could hear him scramble to sit up and minimize some windows on a computer like Jenny had snuck up behind him. "What can I do for you Ma'am?"

"Get me Agent Callen on the phone." Jenny ordered. "I believe Miss Gibbs told you to find him."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Eric said. "I'll have him call this number right away, Ma'am."

"You do that Eric." Jenny said sweetly. "Kate will be waiting to hear from him." The director disconnected and handed the phone back to Kate. "Here you go, Kate. We really need to get you your own phone."

"Thanks, Mom." Kate said. "Can I get a Razor?"

"I'll think about it." Jenny said and went back into her husband's room.

Just after Jenny went back into the ICU suite the phone rang. "CALLEN!!!" Kate yelled as she answered it, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"I'm sorry?" A female voice asked.

"Oops. Sorry Dr. Rice." Kate said recognizing the Secretary of State's voice. "A friend of my Dad's is supposed to be calling me back on Mom's BlackBerry." She explained.

"It's alright Kate." Dr. Rice said. "I'm just calling to check up on Jethro. Mr. Bush sends his sympathies as well."

"The PRESIDENT? The president of the United States wants to know how _**MY**_ Dad is feeling?" Kate asked. "No way!"

"Yes, way." Condi said. "How is Jethro?"

"Still in a coma." Kate said sullenly. There was a beeping noise. "I think Callen's trying to call me."

"Alright, Kate. Just be sure to tell your Mom that your Dad is in our prayers."

"Thanks Condi." Kate said. "Bye."

"You're welcome."

Kate hung up, and the phone rang again. "Hello?"

"Kate?" It was Callen. "What's wrong?"

"Oh Callen!" Kate said as she sank to the floor again and the tears fell.

"Katie Baby, what's wrong?" Callen asked her.

"Daddy's in a coma!" Kate said. "There was an explosion and he's not waking up and…and I'm scared!"

"Does your Mom know how you feel?" Callen asked her as he weaved his way through a crowd to get to his car.

"Yeah." Kate sniffled. "Can you come out here? Please Callen?"

"I can't make any promises Kate." Callen said as he bypassed the parking garage and entered the cleverly hidden OSP office. "But I'll try."

"Thanks bro." Kate said.

Callen and Tony DiNozzo were Kate's overbearing, and overprotective big brothers. Even though they weren't really related, these guys watched out for Kate and fondly threatened any potential boyfriends on AIM.

"No problem, Kiddo." Callen said as he waved to Hetty and climbed the stairs to Eric's cave/computer lab. "I'm gonna try to be on the next flight to DC."

"Hey, Callen…" Eric was hard to hear. Kate suspected that Callen was covering the mouth piece.

"Tell the Gunny to wake his ass up." Callen ordered. "And try reading to him. I'll be there in the morning."

"Okay." Kate said. "I'll try reading him _Harry Potter_."

"Alright." Call said. "Buck up Katie."

"Will do G-Money." Kate replied. "Bye."

"Adíos." Callen replied and hung up.

"So?" Abby asked as Kate came back into Gibbs' suite.

"Callen's gonna try to be here in the morning."

Abby nodded. "I need to get back to the lab. Tony has me running all sorts of tests and I'm at the end of my rope. I'm so worried." Abby babbled.

"It's going to be okay, Abbs." Jenny said comforting the normally energetic Goth. "I'll give you a ride back. I need to pick up Jay-jay and brief SecNav, the White House, and the Pentagon on Jethro's condition."

"Thanks Jenny." Abby said as she gathered up her things.

"Can I stay Mom?" Kate asked as she handed Jenny the BlackBerry. "Callen said I should try reading to Dad."

"Of course, Kate." Jen said. "Ducky's dropping by for the night after he finishes in Autopsy for today."

"Okay." Kate replied as she pawed through her bag and pulled out a well worn copy of _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_.

Jenny kissed Kate's forehead. "I'll see you later."

"Bye Mom. See ya Abby." Kate said as she opened the book and pulled the chair closer to her Dad's bed.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

The next morning G Callen slipped into the Trauma wing and into ICU completely un-noticed and slid into Gibbs' room to find Kate reading to her father.

"Hey Squirt." Callen said.

Kate dropped her book and threw herself at Callen. "CALLEN!!" she shrieked happily.

"Hey Kate." Callen said as the sixteen year old squeezed the beejebbies out of him. "How's Pops doing?"

"He's doing better." Kate said. "He twitched when I got to the part with the Dementors on the Quidditch pitch."

Callen chuckled and kissed the top of Kate's head. "That's really great news Kate."

"I know. Ducky jumped too." She added cheekily. "He fell asleep."

Callen and Kate both laughed. "It's a good sign that you're laughing." Callen said as he let Kate go. "You're gonna be okay."

"I'm okay for now." Kate admitted as she sat down on her cot. "The nurses keep telling me it's gonna get easier to deal with the longer he's in a coma.

Callen nodded. "Where is everybody?"

"The Naval Yard." Kate said as she bit into an apple. "Except for Ducky. He went to the bathroom, like ten minutes ago."

"Cool." Callen said as he put his rucksack down under Kate's cot. "Does Tony know I'm coming?"

"Yeah, Mom told him last night. He's gonna need your help to find that missing guy."

"Ah! Mr. Callen," Ducky said as he ambled out of the ensuite bathroom. "When did your plane land?"

"About an hour ago, Duck." Callen said as he pushed Kate over to sit with her. "Director Sheppard said she called Mike Franks out of retirement to come up here, too."

"Uncle Mike's coming?" Kate asked as she picked up the almost forgotten Harry Potter novel.

"Yup." Callen said. "He's on his way up from Baja now."

"Sweet!" Kate said. "I can't wait…"

Before Kate could finish her sentence, a gurgling sound was heard. Three heads turned to see that Gibbs had woken up and was trying to say something with the tube down his throat.

"NURSE!! NURSE!!" Ducky called out. "He's awake! He's awake!"

A team of doctors and nurses flooded the room. Callen grabbed Kate by the arm and pulled her out into the hall.

"Callen! Let me go!" Kate demanded.

"Kate, we need to give them room to work with your Dad." Callen responded. "We can go in when they're done. Okay?"

"Fine." Kate huffed. "Jay-jay's gonna be happy to see Dad again."

"He's two." Callen said. "He's happy to see everybody. How's Pops doing Doc?"

Ducky had come out of the room with a stunned look on his face. "Jethro doesn't remember me at all."

Kate let out an ear piercing shriek and Callen's face blanched. This was **NOT** good at all.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Sorry about the length, I didn't realize how long this really was until I typed it. But, I got it done for your enjoyment. Review please and let me know how you think I handled Hiatus (Part One). I'm gonna need at least ten reviews for you people to see Hiatus (Part Two) and some time to rewatch the episode. But I hope you liked it!

Random fact: I listened to the song 'According To You' by Orianthi like 30 times on repeat while I typed this up. It's my new favorite song. Check it out. =D


	7. Hiatus Part Two

Okay so I know I said I'd wait until I got ten reviews, but I'm being blackmailed again. My friend is holding out and went let see what I wanna see until she gets this chapter. Grrr… So here's the chapter that I know you're going to love and hate me for at the end. There's a third chapter to this too. It'll go up after I finish an English project. Basically I'm being graded on writing a fan fic. BEST ENGLISH TEACHER EVER!!!! I think I may even post it. I even slid a character from NCIS in…hehe. I don't think my teacher will even get the little reference though…

Oh, and sorry for the length ahead of time. This was 22 pages long in a Five Star Five subject notebook and you know how big those pages are… REVIEW please so I know I didn't waste like two hours of this past Sunday for you people!

As usual, I don't own anybody other than Jay-Jay. He's mine and maybe I'll let you play with him in your own fic if you ask nicely.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Once Kate's screaming had ceased and Callen's tunnel vision was gone, the two exchanged a quick glance before sprinting for the room.

"DADDY!!" Kate cried.

"Gunny!" Callen said.

"Do you remember ME?" they asked in unison as they came to an awkward halt next to Jethro's bed.

Jethro blinked and stared at them. He recognized Callen, after all the nurses had put him in the next room over. The girl, however, looked like him and Shannon enough to be their daughter… He knew for certain that this girl wasn't Kelly. "You're G Callen." Jethro said. '_Why did that girl call me 'Daddy'?'_ Jethro thought to himself as he kept staring at the teenager. '_No. It couldn't be… Could it?'_

Callen's smile was huge when Gibbs addressed him by name.

"Caitlin Erica?" Jethro asked he was a little dumbstruck.

Kate's eyes began to fill with tears of joy. "You only call me that when I'm in trouble, Daddy."

"Oh, Baby." Jethro said. "How could I forget you? C'mere."

Kate flew over to her Dad and buried her face in the crook of his neck. '**I love you Daddy**' Kate signed into Jethro's chest. '**I'll love you forever and ever**' she added as an afterthought.

"Oh, Princess." Gibbs said as he held Kate. "Where's your Mom and Kelly?"

Kate and Callen tensed up. Jethro felt Kate tense next to him.

"What did I say wrong?" he inquired.

"Dad, do you remember why you're in the hospital?" Kate asked carefully as she sat up.

"Our chopper got hit by some artillery and we made a 'rough'," Jethro used air quotes when he said 'rough'. "landing."

"Do you remember why you where in the chopper, Gunny?" Callen asked gently as he sat in the chair Ducky had recently abandoned.

"Because… Shannon…and…Kelly…" Gibbs trailed off. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. "Oh dear God," he whispered. "How the HELL could I have forgotten that?" He asked them. "How?"

Kate hugged her Dad, and for the first time in her life watched her normally stoic father sob his heart out.

Callen sighed and slipped out of the room to let the Gibbses have a moment alone.

"Excuse me," Callen said as he approached the nurses' station. "Can I use the phone?"

A nurse looked up from the chart she was filling out and nodded. "Here you go," she said as she placed the phone on the counter top.

"Thanks." Callen said as he dialed the NCIS main switchboard.

"Navy Criminal Investigative Services Switchboard. This is Holly, how may I direct your call?"

"Can you connect me to Director Shepard's office?" Callen asked. "It's regarding Agent Gibbs's condition."

"Right away, Sir!" Holly chirped. Callen heard the tell tale _click_ and the phone began ringing again.

"Director Shepard's office." Cynthia said as she answered the phone.

"Cynthia, it's Callen. Patch me through to Jenny please." Callen requested as he ignored the look the nurse was giving him.

"Sure, Callen. You doing anything Friday night?" Cynthia asked casually.

"Nah." Callen replied. "What time do you want me to pick you up?"

Cynthia laughed. "That obvious?"

"Yeah." Callen said. "Italian or Mexican?"

"Six thirty and I'm just craving Mexican this week."

"Alright," Callen said with a smile on his face. "Six thirty it is."

"I'll patch you through now." Cynthia said.

"Thanks, Babe." Callen commented as Cynthia directed his call.

"Shepard." Jenny snapped as she answered the phone.

"Whoa there Mama Bear!" Callen joked. "Jethro's awake."

"He's awake?" Jen repeated hopefully.

"Yeah," Callen said for the millionth time that morning. "Ducky's talking to Dr. Gelfand about it now."

Jenny cut him off, "Let me grab Jay-Jay from Daycare and we'll be there in five to ten minutes!" she cried gleefully.

"Jenny! Wait! Don't…" Callen was interrupted by the dial tone. "…hang up." Callen finished to the nurse behind the counter. "Great," he muttered. "And she just HAD to give Kate her cell this morning, didn't she?"

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"Most traumatized brain injuries produce short term retrograde amnesia." Dr. Gelfand told Ducky. "But to lose years of memory like this, his medial temporal lobe of his hippocampus should be damaged."

"But his CAT scans and the EEG are normal," Ducky said, completely puzzled.

"And he remembered the explosion. I've never had a retrograde amnesia patient remember the trauma." Gelfand said puzzled. "Never," he added when he saw a hopeful look on Ducky's face.

The two doctors turned and looked through the glass wall at Kate curled up with her father. The teenage girl was helping her father drink water with a bendy straw and was laughing at something Jethro had said to the nurse, Maria.

"I don't think it's retrograde amnesia." Gelfand admitted. "I think it's dissasociative."

"An emotional repression of memory?" Ducky managed to choke out as Callen approached the aging doctors.

"Jenny's on her way in to see Dad." Callen said. "She's swinging by the NCIS daycare to pick up Jay-Jay before she leaves."

"Who is Jay-Jay?" Dr. Mallard asked puzzled.

'_Oh shit!'_ Callen thought. '_I forgot Ducky wasn't in the loop! Dad's gonna kill me when he finds out and remembers…'_ Out loud Callen quickly replied, "Not important. The important thing is that the Director hung up before I could tell her about Dad's little bout of amnesia."

"Oh, dear." Ducky commented.

"Did you try her cell phone?" Gelfand inquired as he tweaked his glasses.

"Kate has it with explicit instructions to not read any of the texts Jenny receives today on the threat of a summer long groundation." Callen said as he ran a hand over his buzz cut. "Is this going to be a temporary lapse, Doc?" Callen asked as he addressed Gelfand.

"I don't think so," Gelfand replied. "I think this latest coma has led to a psychological relapse sending Agent Gibbs a good fifteen years into the past."

"Well I could have told you that ten minutes ago!" Callen replied. "Pops was asking for Shannon and Kelly."

"Who?" Gelfand asked.

"His first wife, Kate's mother, and his oldest daughter." Callen explained. "They were killed in a car accident a month after Kate was born. If Kate hadn't been born prematurely, then she would probably be dead right now."

The two doctors stared at Callen.

"WHAT?" he asked defensively. "I was _there_ when he found out they died. The Gunny was a complete mess."

"Why don't we ask him where the explosion occurred?" Ducky suggested helpfully.

"He'll just tell you the same thing he told me and Kate when we asked him." Callen added.

"What was the answer?" Gelfand asked.

"Kuwait." Callen replied as he headed for Gibbs's room.

"Oh, Lord." Ducky said.

"Ducky?" Callen asked as he paused at the door.

"Yes, Mr. Callen?" Ducky replied.

"Do you think you could head back to the Navy Yard and let everyone else know that Dad's awake? I think Hurricane Jenny just grabbed the Munchkin and headed for the car." Callen respectfully requested.

"Dad?" Ducky questioned.

"It's a long story, and Kate and I will tell you and the team everything when this is all over with. I promise. Even if I have to fly out from LA just to tell you. Please, Ducky?"

"Of course, my dear boy!" Ducky replied as he gathered up his things from the counter where he'd left them earlier that morning. "But this had better be one hell of a story."

"It sure is Doctor Doc." Kate quipped from the door frame next to her suedo brother. "I know the whole thing." She added with a mischievous smile.

Ducky ducked into the hallway and headed for the parking garage and his hand restored Morgan, just missing Jenny and Jay-Jay by five minutes.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Jay-jay was perched on his mother's hip, happily chewing on his fingers. He was going to see Daddy at the funny smelling place Mommy called a 'hospical'.

"Now Jay-jay," Mommy was saying to him as they rode the elly-vator. "Daddy has a big booboo on his face, and it's a funny color. Please don't yell or scream when you see it."

Jay-jay winced. He didn't like booboos. He went to Mommy or Miss Cynthia when he got one at daycare and they kissed it better for him. Maybe all Daddy needed was a booboo kiss from Mommy to make him better. He took his hand out of his mouth and put the drool covered appendage on his Mommy's designer jacket. "Otay. I no yell."

"Good." Mommy said and she kissed his forehead. "I have the card Miss Alice helped you make for Daddy. Do you want to give it to him now or when he gets home?"

"Now pease." Jay-jay said happily.

"Okay, Munchkin." Jenny said affectionately as she stepped off of the elevator.

"I wanna walk!" Jay-jay proclaimed. "I'm a big boy!"

Jenny laughed and set the toddler down on the ground. "Yes you are sweetie." Jay-jay took his Mommy's hand and happily toddled along to his Daddy's hospical room.

As they got closer Jay-jay could see his Daddy in the bed with Kate-Kate sitting on another bed, and then he saw Callen. "Mommy! Mommy!" Jay-jay said as he tugged on Jenny's hand. "I see Callen! Mommy Callen's hewe!"

Jay-jay pulled away from Jenny and weaved down the hallway to see his Daddy and brother. His big brother was here from Los Angelsless! It was nice to see Callen, but first he needed to see his Daddy.

"DADDY! DADDY!" Jay-jay chanted as he flew in and tried to climb up onto the bed.

Callen and Kate exchanged a look of horror. '_Not good!_' Kate signed to Callen as the California native scooped up the two year old.

Callen nodded, he agreed with Kate's assessment of the situation. "Jay-jay," he said. "You need to stop yelling."

The little boy stopped. He just remembered he had promised his Mommy he wouldn't yell when he saw his Daddy. "I sowy." Jay-jay said. "I'm just 'cited to see Daddy, Callen."

"I know, Munchkin." Callen said as he ruffled the boy's red hair. "Thank you for stopping." Callen added as Jenny entered the room.

"Oh, thank God!" Jenny proclaimed when she saw Callen had Jay-jay secured in his arms. "He just ran off when he saw you and Jethro. He's never done this before."

"Eh." Callen said. "He's fine, Ma. He's two."

"Who _is_ he?" Jethro asked from the bed. "I thought you didn't have a mother, Callen."

Jenny's face fell. "Kate," she said in her best no-nonsense Director voice. "Why don't you and Callen take Jay-jay for a walk while I talk with your father?" It wasn't a suggestion.

"Okay," Kate said as she got up from her chair and grabbed Jay-jay from Callen. "C'mere, Jay." Callen handed the boy over. "Let's go see if we can find some new babies to look at."

"They have a baby store at the hospical?" Jay-jay asked in awe as the trio left the room; his baby blue eyes had grown comically large like his older sister's where prone to. "I wanna see! I wanna see!" he chanted as they headed for the elevator bay.

"Do I know you?" Jethro asked Jenny once the kids had left the room.

"My name is Jenny," she replied.

Jethro was mentally assaulted with a series of memories. Memories, of their, private relationship.

"You still don't remember me?" Jen asked forlornly.

"Uh…, maybe." Jethro responded.

"We were partners…" she prodded, as she stood up from the chair and came closer to the bed.

"After," Jethro paused. "Shannon died?"

"Yes!" Jenny exclaimed.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "Did I marry again?" he inquired.

"Three times," was Jenny's amused reply.

"No way," Jethro chuckled as he shook his head in disbelief.

"'Fraid so." Jenny said she too was chuckling.

"Ah! You're an ex-wife." Jethro guessed.

"Oh God no!" Jenny replied laughing harder. "I'm the Director of NCIS."

Jethro's voice became somber. "For a minute I thought you were someone else."

"I'm also your third wife." Jenny added. "You remembered some of our intimate moments. Didn't you Jethro?"

Gibbs shifted uncomfortably. He was obviously embarrassed.

"Good." Jenny said. "It's a good start to regaining your memory.

"Who was the boy?" Jethro asked Jenny as she reached for her brief case.

"Our two year old son." Jenny said and she stopped moving for the case.

"What's his name?" Gibbs asked. "I feel like the World's Worst Father. I can't even remember _**MY OWN SON**_!" he said as he angrily punched his mattress.

"Shhh." Jenny said as she grabbed Jethro's arm. "You're the best father a child could ask for." She said soothingly. "His name is Jethro Jasper. We call him Jay-jay for short. Callen and Kate call him Jay sometimes. I think they do it to make him feel like a big boy."

Jethro chuckled. "It sounds like something Kelly would have done."

Jenny smiled sadly and kissed her husband's temple.

"Why did Callen call you 'Ma'?" Jethro asked as he took one of Jen's hands in his. Holding her hand like this, and her just being here felt right.

"You basically adopted him about ten years ago." Jenny said smiling. "Well, Kate basically adopted him."

"How?" Jethro asked as he pushed himself up into a better position.

"She sent him a homemade Veterans Day card when she was five with explicit orders to come to Thanksgiving and Christmas. He came, and Kate just attached herself to him. He's come to every Gibbs/Shepard family function since then.

Jethro nodded. Again it was something one of his and Shannon's children would do. "I think I remember that."

Jenny smiled and her eyes flickered over to the brief case. Showing Jethro the picture of Pinpin Pula could wait an hour or two.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Later that evening after Jethro had thrown his family out for the day and Maria was getting his dinner, Jethro heard a voice he hadn't heard in years.

"Hello, Probie!" It was retired NCIS Special Agent Mike Franks; Gibbs's old boss.

"Hey, Boss." Jethro said uncertainly as he got out of bed.

"Damn. You got old, Marine." Franks said.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately, Mike?" Jethro asked as he let Mike guide him back to bed.

Mike laughed and pretended to head slap Gibbs. "If there was no brain damage…" He trailed off as they both laughed.

"You were the NIS Agent assigned to Shannon's murder." Jethro said as he began to remember the early 1990s. "You're the reason I became an Agent."

Mike nodded silently urging Jethro to continue.

"The Navy changed the name that same year, too. It was in Ninety…Ninety…" Gibbs couldn't remember.

"Ninety-two." Franks said.

"We investigated crime scenes." Jethro said confidently.

Franks scoffed and said "_I_ investigated crime scenes. You schlepped."

"You taught me how to be an agent." Jethro fired back.

"No, I didn't teach." Franks said trying to deny it. "You observed."

"Kohbar Towers." Jethro said after a moment of silence.

Franks pushed himself away from his position at the foot of Jethro's bed and walked to the window.

"You warned them about bin Laden." Jethro continued on. "They didn't listen. And you _QUIT_."

"I didn't _QUIT_." Franks said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "I retired."

"Uncle Mike!" Kate called cheerfully from the doorway as she launched herself at the retired agent.

"Katie!" Franks said as he caught the fifteen year old in a one armed hug. "It's good to see you, Squirt."

"I've missed you soooooo much, Uncle Mike." Kate said as she released her Godfather. "Jay-jay just absolutely adores the Marine teddy bear you got him for Christmas," Kate babbled on, "He calls it his 'Mer-Mer Bear'."

Franks chuckled and took a drag on his cigarette. He coughed and Kate gave him 'The Look'. She had started pestering him about quitting after Becky's Uncle Jack had died from a smoking induced heart attack when the girls were in the fifth grade.

"Hey!" Maria said. She was back with Jethro's food. "You can't smoke in here."

"I forgot I was in a hospital." Mike said as he glanced around the room for the proper method of disposal.

"It's against the law to smoke in _any_ public building." Maria added as she set the tray down on the table.

"Really?"

Maria nodded.

"That's another good reason to live in Mexico, Probie." Franks said as he dropped his half smoked butt into Jethro's offered water glass.

"Don't _even think_ about it Mister!" Kate exclaimed as she saw the wheels in her father's mind begin to turn. "I'll have Abby kill you and hide the evidence if you do!" the teen exclaimed.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate sat next to her father as her Uncle Mike told Dad about 9/11. She felt like crying as she watched her Dad throw up and argue with Uncle Mike about Sit Reps and guilt. Sure, she knew what the US government had done after 9/11. A lot of her classmates in Anacostia knew at least one person who had made the Ultimate Sacrifice to protect their country. A few of Callen's friends that Kate had met had even died as well. Kate hated the funerals. The flowers, the sympathy cards everyone sent, the numerous casserole dishes that had piled up in her friends' kitchens, and she hated seeing her friends' mothers breaking down during the services. It was awful. After the fifth funeral in eight months, Kate had stopped going unless it was a good friend's older sibling.

"Hey, Dad?" she asked quietly as they walked back to his hospital room for the night.

"Yeah, Princess?" Jethro replied.

"Mom wants to know it you've come up with another name for that Pinpin guy yet."

Jethro shook his head. "No. No, not yet."

"Okay." Kate murmured. "I'll let her know."

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate had reclaimed the cot in her father's room and stirred when Mossad liaison Officer Ziva David slid the door open.

"Yeah?" Jethro asked. He hadn't fallen asleep yet, despite the fact it was very early in the morning.

"Ziva." Ziva said.

"We work together?"

"Yes. I am a Mossad operative attached to your team."

"Mossad? When did they start doing that?" Gibbs asked.

"It has been a year." Ziva cut him off.

"Don't feel bad," Jethro said as he sat up after an awkward moment of silence. Kate sat up in the shadows to watch. "I worked with that ME for…" Jethro continued.

"Ducky." Ziva said sharply. "For ten years and you don't remember him."

"You always finish other people's sentences?" Gibbs inquired.

"Only when I am in a hurry." Ziva admitted. "Abu Sayyaf is planning a terrorist attack on the Navy. It will be as devastating as…"

"9/11." Gibbs finished for her.

"You remember 9/11?" Ziva asked skeptically.

"His boss told him." Kate said from her cot, alerting Ziva to her presence.

"Your adopted mother told him?"Ziva asked. Ziva and McGee were convinced that Director Shepard had adopted Kate as an infant, and that Gibbs was an old family friend. Tony and Abby knew the truth. The story that Ducky had was full of holes, and Gibbs was always thankful no-one had decided to compare stories one day.

"No, no. My boss. It doesn't matter." Jethro said as he got out of bed. "What can I do?"

"Remember!" Ziva snapped as she grabbed his face.

"I've been trying to since I woke up in this room!" Jethro shouted; he was visibly and understandably upset.

"Well, try harder!" Ziva cried.

Jethro growled and gave Ziva the patented Gibbs Glare.

"Good! That is a start!" Ziva happily exclaimed.

"What it?" Jethro demanded.

"The old Gibbs stare! You gave it to all of us: McGee, Tony, me!"

"What are you talking about?!" Gibbs exploded.

"Ziva! Stop it!" Kate yelled getting up out of the bed. "Daddy, you need to calm down."

"No!" Ziva said. "There is no time to stop now."

"I AM CALM!" Gibbs roared. Kate shrank back when her father's angry gaze fell on her. She knew that her Dad would _never_ strike her, but she'd never seen him this _angry_.

Ziva grabbed one of Gibbs's hands and used it to smack the back of her head.

Jethro was suddenly assaulted with years of repressed memories that came flying free from the simple, familiar gesture. He remembered everything now.

"Ari…" Ziva said as she began to cry. "Ari killed Kate Todd. And I…And I killed Ari!" Ziva was openly sobbing now.

"Your brother." Jethro said stunned.

"Yeah." Ziva said between sobs. Kate rushed to the Israeli woman and enveloped her in a hug.

"Oh, Ziva." She crooned. "You poor, poor thing."

"You killed your brother?" Jethro asked.

Ziva nodded as she sobbed harder, and she felt Kate strengthen the hug.

"To save me." Jethro finished.

Ziva nodded and Jethro pulled her and Kate into a group hug until the sobbing had subsided.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate and Ziva shared a smile behind Jethro as they rode the elevator to the Bull Pen. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was back, and he was knocking!

As they stepped off of the elevator, McGee and Tony both cried, "Boss!" and rushed to catch up to Jethro and Ziva as they rushed up to MTAC.

Kate waved to Abby as the Goth raced to intercept Gibbs before he reached the stairs.

"GIBBS!" Abby yelled as she hugged the startled man.

"Hey, Abby." Gibbs said. "I remember you. And Ducky! How could I forget your mother left you on a bus?"

"I don't know, Jethro." Ducky said.

"Hey, Gibbs, should you be out of the hospital yet?" Abby asked concerned.

"She's got a point, Dad." Callen said from the catwalk in front of MTAC.

"I'm fine." Gibbs said as he disentangled himself from Abby. "I'll talk to you later, Abbs."

"I should have known he wasn't Galib." Gibbs said as he caught sight of Galib's NCIS ID photo and the grainy security still of Pinpin Pula on the plasma screen.

"Oh no, don't worry about it." Ziva said.

"Easy mistake, Boss." McGee piped in.

"I would have made the same mistake, Boss." Tony admitted.

"Well, yeah DiNozzo, I know. That's why I'm so pissed!" Jethro said as she smacked the back of Tony's head.

Kate giggled from the bottom of the steps. "He's really back, Abby!"

Abby nodded as Tony cheerfully cried out, "You didn't forget me!" as the team went into MTAC.

"Does he remember _everything_?" Abby asked hopefully. She didn't want Gibbs to come in one day and not have her beloved CafPow! for her when she found something absolutely fantasmically amazing for him.

"I think so." Kate replied as she and Abby linked arms and climbed the stairs to Jenny's office. "Come on, Ducky!" Kate called over her shoulder. "I owe you my half of the story."

Less than five minutes later the doors to Jenny's office burst open.

"Would the three of you mind moving to the Bull Pen?" Jenny said. It was an order, not a request that came from the Director.

"Sure thing, Mom." Kate said as a furious Gibbs burst in.

"Mom?" Ducky asked as they descended the stairs to the Bull Pen.

"Again, Duck Man," Kate said. "All will be explained in my epic tale." Kate settled herself into her father's office chair as Abby hopped up on top of McGee's desk. Ducky was leaning on the partition by Ziva's desk completely involved in a conversation with the former assassin.

A few minutes later Jethro came down the stairs and opened a draw in his desk, and rolled Kate in the chair out of his way.

"Oh, uh, I got them, Boss." Tony said as he pulled Gibbs's badge and gun out of his top draw. "I got them from the medics when they took you." Tony explained as he got up and handed them over to the scrub clad team leader.

"I appreciate it." Gibbs said as he took them back and gave Tony a glance over. "You'll do." He opened up his badge and laid it on top of his Sig as he handed both over to a stunned Tony. "It's your team now."

Kate and Abby both looked at each other horrified.

"Tim, you're a good agent." Jethro was saying to McGee. "Don't let him," he jerked his thumb over to Tony. "tell you otherwise." McGee nodded and Kate could see the computer geek was doing everything he could to not cry.

"I won't, Boss." Tim said as his jaw quivered.

"Gi…" Abby started, but was silenced by Jethro's index finger on her lips. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Jethro turned and repeated the gesture to his daughter and whispered in her ear.

"I'll explain at home," and he turned and headed to Ziva. "I owe you one Ziver." Jethro said, he was thanking her in his own way for her help in her regaining of his memories.

"I'll collect, Jethro." Ziva replied with a sad smile.

"Callen." Jethro said as he looked at his semi-adopted son.

"Dad." Callen replied with a nod. "Where to?"

"Baja." Jethro said.

"Have a beer on me." Callen said handing Gibbs a five dollar bill.

"Thanks." Gibbs said as he turned to Ducky as he nodded to Jenny on the landing. "Give me ride home, will ya Duck?"

"Of course," the stunned ME replied as he and Jethro headed for the elevator bay.

"Daddy!" Kate cried after her father through the tears that were falling down her face. "Why are you leaving?" she sobbed out.

Gibbs turned and surveyed his team, his family. "Semper Fi!" He said as he stepped onto the elevator.

As the doors slid closed with a mockingly cheerful '_ping_' Kate and Abby gave into a fresh wave of tears. Abby clung to McGee, Kate and Ziva attached themselves to Tony, and Callen raced up the stairs to support a shell-shocked Jenny Shepard Gibbs.

If someone had wanted to, they could have knocked over the members of the Major Cases Response Team (MCRT) with a feather.

"I did not see this one coming." Tony said as Kate sobbed into his shoulder and Ziva clung to him in silence.

"_None_, of us did, Tony." Jenny chocked out. She was feeling oddly numb after her husband had just quit and announced he was moving to Mexico. "None of us did."

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

And there you have it! Part II of Hiatus! REVIEW!!! This took two days to write by hand to the way I liked it, and three days to type it. I had two sport banquets to go to, band rehearsal, _and_ work. So you'd better tell me how much you loved this.

I had like THE BEST DAY EVER!!!!!!! So today I went on a field trip to see Macbeth in Boston at the Mass College of Arts or wherever it was. It was great, except for the obnoxious kids behind us. They WOULDN"T STOP TALKING!!!! So if you were one of them, next time SHUT UP! But the bus ride was the best. There were five other Seniors and me waving to random people on the highway in the back of the bus, and we counted how many people we got to wave back. We got a grand total of 70 waves, got flipped off twice, one crazy dance, got flashed by this cute guy (lifted his shirt), and got a really cute French-Canadian truck driver to blow his 18-wheeler horn. All in all, a really fun immature bus ride. Maturity is sooooooooooo overrated.


	8. Bete Noire

The idea for this one struck me while I was sweeping up cake after a birthday party at my job. I watch small children at birthday parties so they don't fall off of inflatable slides and obstacle courses and my boss doesn't get sued waiver or no waiver. I serve them pizza and cake too. My favorite ones are the eight-eleven year old boys who think it'll be funny to throw the cake at the referee and see what she does. I normally threaten them with cleaning up the mess, and then they're little angels.

But anyways, enjoy this Bête Noire interpretation. Kate just turned 13 like two days before Bête Noire occurs in March 2004. Because I'm getting confused writing this, Agent Todd will be referred to as Todd or Caitlin. Kate Gibbs will still be Kate. Review please!

Oh, I also don't own the lyrics to Absolutely (Story of a Girl). I just like that song, and Tony sees Kate as his baby sister and he sings it when she's upset 'cuz it cheers her up. Just don't sue me.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

Kate sat at her Dad's desk playing solitaire on his computer. She was now officially a teenager, got out of school that day because of her psychical at the most randomest time of the day, and got to go to work with her Dad. It was a good day for her.

"So, Kate," Tony said from his desk. Two heads turned his way, one strawberry blond, and one brunette. "My cousin Kate."

Kate Todd huffed and went back to her task.

"Yeah, T?" Kate replied. 'Today's visit to NCIS is brought to you by DECEPTION and its good pal SNEAKINESS' Kate thought to herself.

"I'm gonna make a coffee run. You wanna come?" Tony asked as he pulled on a jacket and grabbed his pack.

"Nope." Kate replied as she clicked on the ace of hearts. "Can you grab me a medium cocoa from Dunkins though?" she added as an afterthought.

"Sure, Squirt." Tony said. "You want anything Big Kate?" Tony teased.

"Sure." Agent Todd said. "You gone."

"Geeze." Tony said. "No need to get to feisty with the kid around."

"As of Sunday I'm officially a teenager Tony." The younger Kate pointed out.

"I know. I was at your party. No need to remind me." Tony called as he headed for the elevators. "Hey, Abby!"

Abby Scuito was approaching the Bull Pen with a box full of evidence that Ducky needed back in the Morgue. Abby couldn't go down herself after her horrible nightmare about the Autopsy room. "Hey, Kate?" Abby asked.

"Yeah, Abby." Agent Todd replied as she looked up and saw the box of evidence Abby had propped up on her desk.

Little Kate tuned out most of their conversation; she was too busy trying to beat her own high score in solitaire. All she heard that Agent Kate had to do was deliver the box to the Autopsy room doors. Ducky and her Dad would never even know she had gone…

"Can I come Kate?" she asked as she stood up. "You're just going to the door and I won't see any body if Dr. Ducky has it down at the other end." Kate said hoping it would work. "I promise not to tell Tony or Agent Gibbs that you let me come down to autopsy. Please?"

Agent Todd sighed and said "Come on. You can push the buttons for me."

"Yay!" Kate squealed as she headed for the elevator bay. "Thank you thank you thank you!" she chanted as she punched in the 'down' button.

Kate Todd giggled at the enthusiasm displayed by the younger Kate as the girl danced around to a song in her head.

"How come Abby's not taking this down to Ducky's?" the younger Kate asked her older counterpart.

"She had a nightmare a couple of weeks ago that's made her very afraid of the autopsy suite." Todd explained as she shifted the heavy box. "She can't even push the down button on the elevator anymore."

"That's so sad." Kate said. "I was afraid of heights for the longest time until Tony brought me to the Washington Monument and we could see the whole city from the top." Kate babbled on. "It was so pretty and I wasn't afraid anymore. Tony's afraid of vampires. I made him watch Queen of the Damned and a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon and I swear he almost wet his pants."

Agent Todd laughed and said. "You're an evil little girl, you know that?"

"Yup." Kate responded as the elevator reached its destination. "I enjoy being evil oh so much. Nobody expects it from me, and when I strike, I leave stunned people in my wake."

"Like Tony?" Todd asked as she waved to Ducky.

"Leave it by the door, Abby!" Ducky called from the other side of the door.

Agent Todd caught on quickly. Kate didn't and almost blew it as Todd told Ducky she had 'gotten over her fear'. "Get back on the elevator." Kate Todd hissed to the younger girl. "Now."

It was too late. The doors to the autopsy suite hissed open and a man with a gun emerged and ordered them inside.

"When did labrats start carrying SIG Sauers?" the man asked them

"We are soooooo screwed." Kate said as they were ushered into Autopsy. "And I'm sooooo dead when my parents find out about this."

The man in the green scrubs, Kate was now calling him MIG for short ordered them on to the top of two of the autopsy tables and made Gerald and Ducky sit on the floor at the base of a third.

The MIG quickly patted Kate down and found nothing other than her Game Boy and some money for a CafPow!.

He quickly moved on to Agent Todd and asked, "No throw away?" He checked her ID. "Special Agent Caitlin Todd. Are you any good with this gun, Caitlin?"

"Give it back and I'll demonstrate." The agent replied.

"Hmm… Ever fire it in anger?" the man asked her.

"I would love to right now." Kate stifled a giggle. Agent Todd was funny when she was pissed.

"Did you shoot Qassam?" Kate Todd ignored him. "Did you put that double tap in his heart?"

"_She_ didn't shoot him." Ducky said from the floor.

"Then who did?" the terrorist demanded.

"Probably my Dad." Kate said from her table.

Ducky said "Special Agent Gibbs," at the same time.

"Ducky!" Caitlin said.

"That name rings a bell Dr. Mallard."

"Don't answer this bas-…" Caitlin stopped herself; she didn't want to swear in front of the young girl, even if she was Tony's supposed cousin and had just claimed Gibbs as her father.

"It's okay." Kate said. "I go to public school. You were going to say bastard."

"You mustn't chastise the good doctor, Caitlin. At least, until you learn all my rules."

"I don't play by terrorist rules." Agent Todd said angrily.

"Who says I'm a terrorist?" he asked as he tossed bagged evidence to the side.

"Uh… You're holding us hostage with a gun in Autopsy in a federal agency." Kate said. "That pretty much screams terrorist to me."

The MIG just chuckled as he pocketed the blood sample from Qassam. "Is this all of the evidence Doctor?"

"From what I can see from here it is." Ducky said. "Gerald?"

"It looks like all of it." The assistant replied.

"Caitlin, you may roll over now, if you keep your hands where they are on top of your head." The MIG instructed, and both Caitlins did so.

"I said Caitlin, only." The terrorist said when he saw that Kate had rolled over on to her back as well.

"It's my name too." Kate said. "Caitlin Erica Gibbs is my full name. Duh." She hadn't lost the sense of when not to use the word 'duh'.

"This is much too confusing." The man said. "What do your friends call you?"

"Kate." Ducky answered for her.

"Then when I say Kate, I am referring to you. Now Caitlin, did Special Agents search Qassam's room?"

Caitlin didn't respond.

"Where is the evidence that was bagged and tagged?"

"Evidence Lock-Up." Kate responded as she saw the man reach for the gun in his pants pocket. Caitlin looked at her like she was crazy. "What?" Kate said. "He's got gun, you don't and I don't wanna die only two days after becoming a teenager."

The man chuckled again; he found the teenager to be entertaining.

"Doctor, please explain the rules to stubborn little Caitlin."

"If we lie, or he thinks we're lying, he'll put a bullet in one of Gerald's joints.

"Ouch." Kate hissed.

"More specifically, his ball and socket joints. And you omitted one condition." He said.

"Oh, did I?" Ducky asked.

"Yes, you did." The man replied.

"Oh. Yes, we mustn't try to trick him."

"Young Kate," the man said. "Is there another room through that door?" He was pointing the gun in the direction of Ducky's desk.

"I think so." Kate said.

"Go and find out." The man ordered.

"Okay." Kate said as she hopped off the table and opened the door. "Uh, there's a lined closet for the scrubs and a bunch of doors in a hallway."

"Go into that closet and wait in there until I come and get you." He ordered her.

"Okey dokey." Kate said as she complied and the door shut behind her. She turned on the light in the closet and piled some scrubs together on the floor to make a bean bag type chair.

**MTAC**

"Gibbs—DiNozzo" Tony said over the TAC-One channel on their walkie talkies. "Kate Todd just ran past the doors in Autopsy; she just ran by again."

"I read you, DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "Standby."

Director Morrow turned and watched Gibbs approach him. "There's no video from Autopsy."

"It's looking like a hostage situation, Director." Jethro said gravely. "Four of our people, Doctor Mallard, his assistant Gerald Jackson, and Special Agent Kate Todd."

"And the fourth?" Morrow asked.

"My daughter." Gibbs replied grimly.

"Damn." Morrow spat out. "Are you positive?"

"DiNozzo saw her walking through a door to the linen closet. Abby said she went with Agent Todd to deliver the evidence back to Autopsy."

"Let's find out." Morrow said. "Start the tape."

"Yes, Sir." Charlie, the MTAC techie said as he pressed 'RECORD' and dialed Autopsy for Agent Gibbs.

"Autopsy." Ducky's voice said through the phone after several rings.

"Ducky, what's with the infectious autopsy?" Jethro asked.

"It's purely precautionary," was the terse reply.

"That why you took the evidence back?"

"Yes, sorry." Ducky said. "I'm really busy, Jethro."

"Hey, is Kate or Agent Todd there?"

"No. No, they both left a few minutes ago." Ducky replied trying to sound casual.

"Okay. If Kate comes back down will you tell her I want to see her up in MTAC? I've been looking for her everywhere."

"Of course." Ducky said.

"Oh, and let me know when you're done, Duck. You've got me curious."

The line cut off before Ducky responded.

"Unknown man in Autopsy wearing greens. Medium build and height." Tony said on TAC-One.

"Copy." Gibbs said.

"The FBI Hostage Rescue Team will be on site in seven minutes." Director Morrow told Gibbs. "We need eyes in Autopsy."

"I'm on it." Gibbs said as he raced out of MTAC.

**Autopsy, Kate's Closet**

Kate pulled her red Game Boy SP out of her back pocket and slid her Quidditch World Cup cartridge in. She had found Gerald's back up MP3 player, and according to the clock on it, she'd been sitting in the closet for almost an hour and a half. She had dug around the little room for a while but hadn't found any headphones. Not fun. Kate was bored out of her mind, she was in the middle of practicing her seeker skills, for Gryffindor of course, when the door opened and the terrorist stood in the door frame.

Kate looked up and caught the tail end of a fleeting smile. "What's your name?" She asked innocently.

"Why do you wish to know?" The man asked.

"So I'm not calling you 'the guy who's holding me and my friends hostage in Autopsy' in my head." Kate replied. "It's a really long name."

"I see your dilemma." He said as he sat on a cardboard box across from Kate. "You may call me," the man paused for a moment and thought about it. "Ari."

"Like Ziva's brother." Kate responded without thinking. "She's friends with my step-mom."

Ari smiled and thought to himself, 'If this is the girl that Ziva mentioned last time I saw her, I'm in a lot of trouble with Mossad when I am through here.' Out loud he said, "I don't have a sister named Ziva. I used to have one named Tali."

"What happened to her?" Kate asked quietly as she turned her game off.

"A suicide bomber walked into the café she was in one day when she was sixteen." Ari said.

"Oh," Kate said. "My sister Kelly and my Mom died in a car accident a month after I was born. Today would have been Kelly's twenty first birthday."

Ari nodded and said "I am sorry." He understood the pain Kate felt, although he had known his sister much longer than Kate had known hers or her mother.

"Thanks." Kate murmured.

"Come." Ari said as he stood. He offered a hand to Kate. "It is time for you to rejoin us."

Kate took his hand and he pulled her into a standing position. "Oh, and do not worry about Gerald. He will be fine."

"Why shouldn't I…Oh." Kate said as she caught sight of Gerald from the doorway. Gerald was being held up on the autopsy table by Caitlin and Ducky. The Coroner's assistant's left shoulder was wrapped in gauze and his arm was in a sling. "What happened to him?" Kate asked Ducky.

"I tried to trick our friend here." Ducky explained as he and Caitlin help Gerald lay down. "And he followed through on his threat."

Kate turned around and put her hands on her hips before she addressed Ari. "Is _that_ why you sent me into that closet for an hour and a half?"

"Yes, young one." Ari replied as he walked over to the table Gerald was on. "I did not think you needed to experience someone being shot in front of you at your youthful age."

"Okay…" Kate said. "But did you really have to shoot him, Ari?"

"Yes, Kate. I did." Ari replied. "Doctor Mallard broke the rules. There are consequences for that, remember?"

"I remember." Kate said as she hopped onto an empty table. "Would you shoot me if I broke one of the rules?"

Her question made Ari pause and think for a moment. It went against his morals to shoot at children. He counted anyone under the age of twenty a child, and to him, Kate was definitely a child. "No." Ari responded. "I do not shoot children. I would send you out of the room again and shoot Gerald in the knee."

"Oh. I think I'm gonna follow the rules to a tee." Kate said.

"Wise choice." Ari replied. "A very wise choice."

Kate lay down and closed her eyes. "Hey, Ducky?" she called.

"Yes, Kate?" Ducky replied.

"Do you think Dad'll come down soon to try and rescue us?" Kate asked. "I wanna go home." Kate was just _this_ close to crying. Today had to be the scariest day of her entire life.

"I'm sure Jethro is trying his hardest, Kate." Ducky said comfortingly. "But rescue missions like this take time."

Kate nodded and rolled on to her side facing away from the others and towards the coolers. "Can you let me go?" she asked Ari. "Please?"

Ari sighed. He knew he would have to let the girl out before the FBI team showed up, but he was slowly growing attached to her. She was innocent in all of this. Her only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Yes. But not for another five minutes."

It had been two minutes since Director Morrow had informed Jethro that the FBI team was on its way.

"Why do I have to wait that long?" Kate asked as the tears began to fall down her face. "I'm scared and I want my Daddy. Please?" Kate pleaded with him.

Ari sighed again. "Get off the table." He ordered.

Kate did as she was told. "Now go and walk through the doors and straight across the hall and up the stairwell." Ari ordered. "I want them to see you are unharmed."

Kate nodded and practically ran to the doors and across the hall. She ripped the door open and was met with the muzzle to Tony's SIG.

Kate did the only normal thing and screamed. Tony dropped his weapon and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Katie Baby." Tony said as he squeezed her. "I didn't know it was you."

Kate just sobbed into his shoulder.

"Gibbs—DiNozzo. I've got Kate. Repeat I've got your daughter."

"DiNozzo—Gibbs. Repeat?" Gibbs said.

"I've got Katie." Tony said. "She's pretty shaken up, Boss. I'm gonna bring her up to the Bull Pen now."

"I read you DiNozzo."

"Tony." Kate said as she cried into his shoulder. "He…he…shot…shot…" she trailed off into a fresh wave of tears.

"Who did he shoot?" Tony asked worriedly. "And where did he shoot them?"

"Gerald." Kate said. "In his shoulder joint. He made me wait in the linen closet until they cleaned Gerald up."

"Kate, this is really important. How many dirt bags are there in Autopsy?" Tony asked as he sat down on the stairs and pulled Kate onto his lap.

"Just one. He said I could call him Ari." Kate said. "I don't know if that's really his name."

"It's okay." Tony said as he hugged Kate again. "You're safe now." He kept repeating the mantra to her for a few minutes.

"Tony?" Kate asked in a shaky voice. "Can you sing the song?"

Tony smiled. "Sure, Kate. From the beginning or just the chorus?"

"I don't care." Kate said. "Just sing it please."

"This is the story of girl, who cried a river and drowned the whole world. And while she looks so sad in photographs, I absolutely love her when she smiles." Tony sang. He sang it to Kate whenever she was upset. Most of the time it was over the phone, but she loved it when he sang the song in person.

"How many days in a year? She woke up with hope but only found tears. And I can be so insincere, making her promises never for real." Kate sang the next verse.

Tony chuckled and hugged her again. "This is the story of a girl who cried a river and drowned the whole world. And while she looks so sad in photographs I absolutely love her. This is the story of a **GIRL** who cried a river and drowned the whole **WORLD**, and while she looks so sad and lonely there, I absolutely love her when she smiles." Tony finished. "You gonna be okay for now, Squirt?"

Kate sniffled. "I think so, T."

"Come on, then." Tony said as they stood up. "Let's get out of here before the shit hits the fan."

Kate nodded as they raced up the stairs as some of the Hostage Rescue Team came racing down them. The seven minutes were up. Ari was as good as caught.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

Later that night Kate sat with her Dad in the basement of their house. Jethro was dressed in scrubs and his arm was in a sling. Ari had shot him during the confusion from the flash bang thingy.

"I'm sorry he shot you Daddy." Kate said as she lay her head on his good shoulder. "He didn't hurt me if that's what you were wondering."

Jethro nodded. "I should ground you until the end of eternity for going down to Autopsy like that, but you help us anticipate what was going on in there."

"How?" Kate asked.

"By telling Tony how many gunmen there were and if anybody was injured." Jethro explained.

"Oh." Kate said. "I just thought I should tell somebody because, truthfully, Gerald looked awful when I saw him."

Jethro nodded. "Director Morrow's impressed big time, Princess. He wants you to come in tomorrow so you can discuss what happened and make a statement."

"Shouldn't I be doing that tonight?" Kate asked.

"A psychologist from the FBI doesn't think so. You need to time to register the trauma or something." Jethro said. "Personally I think you should have done it tonight and stayed home from school for the week."

"So I'm staying home for the week?" Kate asked.

"No." Jethro said. "The shrink talked me into letting you stay home for two weeks with two visits to her office per week until June or she feels you've recovered enough."

"Fun stuff." Kate said sarcastically. "So Gerald's gonna be okay?"

"Ducky said he needs surgery and a lot of physical therapy, but he should be okay within a year or two." Jethro said. He checked his watch. "Look at the time! It's time for all good little former hostages to go to bed."

"Daaaad." Kate said. "Not funny."

Jethro chuckled and pushed her towards the stairs. "Go before Jenny comes down here and chews me out."

"Fine." Kate huffed. As she climbed the stairs as she paused and looked at her father staring at the still of Ari from the camera Jethro had fed through the floor from Abby's lab. "He told me his name was Ari." Kate said. "I don't know how that'll help, but now you have his name."

"Thank you, Katie." Jethro said.

"Welcome, Daddy." Kate replied as she lingered in the doorway. "I love you."

"Love you too, Princess." Jethro said gruffly. "Go to bed."

Kate just nodded and disappeared from the doorframe. Jethro picked up the SIG from the workbench and aimed it the picture across the basement and fired two rounds into the chest of this 'Ari'. He couldn't wait to kill the bastard himself.


	9. Hey, Daddy

This came to me randomly while I was supposed to be researching arthritis for an anatomy project. It's due Thursday. My group hasn't done jack. This is going to be an interesting presentation; I've done like half the work so far…

I own Kate, Jake and anybody you don't recognize and that isn't on NCIS or any other television show. Reviews please! They make me all warm and fuzzy on the inside :-)

In this chapter, Kate is 25 and a newlywed. I skipped the wedding on purpose. I can't focus on writing that part right now when I don't even have a boyfriend… My friend's trying to set me up with a friend of hers, I hope it works.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Kate sat on the edge of the tub in her childhood home and looked at the little white stick sitting on the sink counter. She had five minutes before she would know if her life would be changed forever. Her husband of almost a year, Jake Ryan, was at work. Kate had called in sick to the elementary school where she taught. It was the Friday before Memorial Day weekend; she wasn't needed to keep her fourth graders under control. They were going to watch a movie that day anyways, more than likely it was Night at the Museum 2, Battle of the Jeffersonian. The kids loved that movie.

Kate was pulled from her musings when her cordless phone began to ring. "Hello." She said as she hit the 'TALK' button.

"Do you know yet?" It was Jenny, Kate's stepmother.

"Not yet, Mom." Kate replied. "I'm nervous and I'm excited and I want it to be positive but at the same time I'm not ready for a baby." Kate babbled. "But Jake and I have been trying to get pregnant and we might be now, but I haven't told him yet, and Mom I have no idea what I'm doing and I sound like Abby after like nine CafPows! in an hour. For the love of God! Make me stop talking!"

Jenny just laughed. "I felt the same way when I found out I was pregnant with Jay-jay." Jenny told her over the phone. "It's normal, so just relax and take a deep breath. How much time to do you have left on the timer?"

"How did you know I set a timer?" Kate asked amazed.

"You're a Gibbs." Jenny said as if this explained everything. "You hate waiting for results."

Kate laughed. "Three minutes." She bit her lip. "Can you come over, please? I don't think I can be alone in case it turns out to be negative."

"I'm on my way." Jenny said. "I was going to CVS to drop off some film, but that can wait until later."

"Who uses film still?" Kate teased.

"Me and your father." Jenny said. "It works much better than a digital camera if we lose power again like we did a few years ago and the team had to go old school."

Kate sighed. "That was my freshman year of college. I flew home for the weekend for Jay's school play and got stuck in DC for a week. My professor's almost didn't believe me until one of them checked my file and saw I was from DC."

Jenny laughed. "I'm ten minutes out from the old house, Kate. Hang in there."

"Okay." Kate said. "The front door's unlocked. I haven't had the heart to put a lock on the door yet."

"You might want to once you have any kids." Jenny said. "Oh. I have to hang up. There's a bunch of police officers ahead. I don't think I can use my NCIS Director card to get out of being pulled over for talking on my cell phone."

"Bye, Mom. Don't get caught!" Kate said.

"Thanks." Jenny said and hung up.

Kate put the phone back on the counter and pushed herself up off of the bathtub. She needed to leave the bathroom before she'd be tempted to look at the results alone.

Kate went downstairs and settled herself in front of the TV and flipped through the channels until she found a program on NCIS on the Military Channel. Sure enough, there was her Dad, Abby, Tony, Tim, Ducky, Vance, and even some old footage of her Mom. At one point she had even seen herself in a few of the pictures from the NCIS headquarters. The few pictures that flashed across the screen with her in them showed her and Jay-jay growing up with the agents on her father's team and the new directors and the ever changing Minor Crime Response Team members.

"_In May 2008 NCIS suffered a crippling blow when the agency was led to believe that Director Jennifer Shepard was killed in house fire in her Georgetown Brownstone. In the wake of her supposed death Assistant Director Leon Vance was promoted by the Secretary of the Navy to the position of Agency Director._" The program's narrator droned on as footage of Jenny's 'funeral' was played and Kate saw her seventeen year old self holding a three year old Jay-jay standing in between her father and Tony trying her hardest not to cry and keep her baby brother quiet. "_Director Shepard's death was a ploy to bring out the men behind La Grenouille's organization, almost nine months after the death of the international arms trader. It took three years to draw these three men and two women out of hiding before Director Shepard could resume her position as the head of NCIS and revealed to the capital city that she was now Director Gibbs, she had been married for seven years when she had been appointed Director the first time and had kept it a secret."_ The man kept going and video of Jenny returning to the office and telling Vance she wanted her office back was priceless. Kate was in hysterics as Jenny slipped into the house and the program went to a commercial.

"What's so funny?" Jen asked Kate.

"You just casually breezing into the Bull Penn demanding your office back and planting one on Dad's lips." The strawberry blond replied. "They just showed it on this NCIS show on the Military Channel."

"Ah." Jenny said. "I haven't seen it. What's the excuse for me 'dying'?" Jen inquired.

"Drawing out international arms dealers." Kate replied.

"Not because I forgot to tell SecNav I married your father?" Jen asked.

"Nope. But they did mention it." Kate said. "Can we finish this and then go check my test results?" Kate requested. "It looks interesting."

"Fine." Jenny said. "Only because SecNav 'forgot' to mention this was being made and aired on cable."

"Why aren't you at work?" Kate asked.

"I took the weekend off." Jenny said. "I have kids and that's something that SecNav knew when he rehired me, the kids come before the agency and he's good with that."

"How are the twins doing?" Kate asked eagerly. Jenny and Jethro had surprised everyone four years ago when Jenny had given birth to twin girls and the parents were over the moon; they had four biological children, one semi-adopted adult (Callen), and plenty of pseudo-children at NCIS.

"Brianna wants to start dance lessons and Brooke could care less about dance. She wants to stay home and be her Daddy's baby forever." Jenny said. "She also told me the other day that she's going to marry 'Tone-Tone' when she grows up."

Kate laughed. "I'm sure Tony loves that idea."

"Ziva's less than thrilled about it, but she's getting over it in her own baby frenzy." Jenny said.

"My kid is going to be the same age as Tony's." Kate said. "Oh my God! I had better not have a girl to his son or I swear to God Tony will be losing a certain piece of anatomy."

"Wanna repeat that, Kate?" Jenny said.

"I said that if Ziva and Tony have a son and I have a daughter that there's no way in hell that DiNozzo Jr. will be dating my daughter. Ever." Kate said. "Or Tony will lose his ability to reproduce."

"Ahh." Jenny said. "That makes more sense now."

"Let me guess," Kate said. "It came out as a jumbled mess the first time."

"Mmhhmmm." Jenny said.

The show was back and it was now giving the uniformed viewers the basics of what OSP did. None of the actual OSP Agents could appear in the segments for National Security purposes. It was incredibly boring; there weren't even people in shadows with voice alterers.

"I'm going to go check my test." Kate said as she stood up and shut off the TV.

"Let's go." Jenny said as they sprinted for the stairs.

Kate opened the door to the master bedroom and then opened the door to the bathroom. "You check it, Mom. I'm too freaked out right now." Kate said as she pointed at the seemingly innocent looking white stick.

"Alright." Jenny said as she picked it up and looked at the screen and let out an uncharacteristic squeal. "Congratulations Mommy!"

Kate looked at her mom in shock. "It's positive?"

Jenny nodded as Kate squealed and threw her arms around her. "Come on!" Kate said as she danced back into the master bedroom and began pulling on some flip-flops. "Let's go see Abby and shanghais her into running a blood test for me."

"Now that would be an abuse to my power as Director." Jenny said. "Let's do it."

The women linked arms and Kate took the test and dropped it into an empty plastic bag and dropped that into her purse to show to Jake later. There was a strong possibility they were going to be parents!

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

"Abby!" Kate squealed as she raced off the elevator and into Abby's lab. The woman at one of Abby's tables was not Abby. "You're not Abby." Kate said seeing the woman.

The woman in the lab had mousy brown hair, glasses, she was almost a foot shorter than Abby was, and there was no music playing in the Lab, and the loveable Goth was nowhere in sight.

"I'm fully aware that I am not Ms. Scuito." The woman said as she looked up from the sample she was preparing for Major Mass Spec.

"Who are you?" Kate asked as she poked around the lab looking for Abby. Bert was missing from his usual perch on the workbench above the computer monitors. "And where's Bert?"

"Whom?" the woman asked as she placed the vile in Major Mass Spec.

"Bert." Kate repeated, her hands flying to her hips. "Abby's farting hippo with the spike collar."

"Oh, that _thing_." The unknown woman said. "I locked it up in the desk in the office. It was a hideous thing. It's with all of those dolls that woman kept in here."

"Where is Abby?" Kate said. "The Director is under the impression that Abby's here today."

"Not here." The woman continued. "I'm filling in for Ms. Scuito indefinitely."

Kate huffed and picked up the phone from Abby's workbench ignoring the woman's protests to get away from the phone. "Hey, Cynthia!" Kate said when her mother's secretary picked up the phone. Kate put it on speaker so the lab tech could hear the conversation.

"Hey, Kate." Cynthia said. "What's up?"

"Is Mom in her office?" Kate asked as she drummed her fingers on the tabletop.

"Yes, she just came in a few minutes ago." Cynthia said. "She seemed awfully giddy. What's going on with you two?"

"She's gonna be a Nana." Kate replied. "Can you patch me through, please?"

"Sure, Kate. Congratulations!" Cynthia said.

"Would you please go make personal phone calls away from my lab?" the woman asked. "This is a Federal Agency. I don't know how you got in without a visitor's pass, but you're going to have to leave…"

"Director Gibbs." Jenny said. The lab woman's face blanched; she'd just mouthed off to the Director's daughter.

"Hey, Mom, where's Abby?" Kate asked. "She's not in her lab and there's this lady that won't tell me jack." Kate said.

"Good question." Jenny said. "Abby's supposed to be in her lab. Let me call McGee and see if he knows anything."

"Don't bother." Kate said as she looked over her shoulder. "He's coming in now." Kate hung up and turned around to watch two of her favorite agents in their natural habitat.

McGee and Tony had stepped off the elevator with boxes of evidence and were joking around. "And then, McGoo, Ziva reaches over and smacks my face!" Tony said between laughs.

"Why?" McGee asked.

"She wouldn't say in English. She went off in a tangent in Hebrew and called the Director and has been giving me the cold shoulder since Tuesday."

"It's probably because you left the toilet seat up again, Tony." Kate said as she took one of the boxes from Tim. "She's had it up to here," Kate held a hand up over her head, "with you and you're lack of bathroom etiquette."

"Huh?" Tony said as he set the other box down next to its twin. "Sign here, please." Tony said to the lab woman as he held out the chain of evidence clipboard that Abby had designed three years ago.

The woman took it and signed under Tony's name and practically threw the clipboard back at him.

"Have you ever gone to sit on the toilet and gone further down than you expected to?" Kate asked.

"Yeah." McGee said. Tony looked at him like he'd grown another head. "What?" Tim asked defensively. "Abby leaves the seat up for Jethro. She says it's his right to drink out of the toilet if he wants to."

"Agent Gibbs drinks out of your toilet?" The woman asked confused.

Kate laughed. "No, it's Abby and Tim's dog's name. He's a lab mix type of dog Abbs rescued from the pound two or three years ago." Kate explained. "She just _had_ to name him after my dad."

"And after the dog she rescued from the Marine Corp." Tony added. "Remember him, Probie?"

McGee rolled his eyes. "How could I forget the dog that mauled me, _Boss_?"

Tony had been made the leader of the Major Case Response Team the year before when Jethro had decided it was time to him to retire. So far his retirement mainly consisted of shuttling his four year old daughters to play dates with kids from their daycare group.

"I almost forgot about that." Tony said nostalgically. "All I remember is that Abbs went against direct orders from Gibbs for the first time with that Sheppard."

Kate laughed. "You so didn't almost forget…What's that smell?" Kate asked disgusted.

"My lunch." The lab woman, know known to Kate as LWNA, Lady Who's Not Abby, said pointing to the egg salad sandwich and salad with ranch dressing on an empty counter.

"I'm gonna barf." Kate proclaimed as she raced out the door and down the hallway to the unisex bathroom outside of Abby's lab.

Tony and McGee followed Kate into the lavatory. "Are you okay?" Tony asked.

Once Kate had stopped retching she looked at the team leader. "I am **NOT** okay, Tony. Did you not just see me barf out the contents of my stomach into this toilet?"

Tony grimaced. "I meant are you sick or do you have something to tell that wonderful husband of yours Mrs. Ryan?"

"Possibly that later." Kate said. "Help me up, will you T?"

Tony put out his hand and Kate grabbed it, and Tony pulled her into a standing position. "Then why are you at the Navy Yard instead of at the Hoover building?"

"I came in to see if Abby would run a blood test just to be positive, but I can't seem to find Abby and that bi-atch in the lab won't tell me anything." Kate said as she closed the bathroom door behind them on the way out.

"Abby's Uncle Bobby died last night." McGee said quietly. "She flew down to New Orleans this morning, and I'm going down to join her in a couple of days for the wake and the funeral."

"Oh my God." Kate said. "Poor Abby. Wasn't Uncle Bobby her favorite Uncle?"

Tim nodded. "That's why she left this morning instead of in a few days. I called Fornell's newest henchman, Box or something like that, and he had the FBI send us a temporary labrat until Abby can keep herself together."

"Well I hope the FBI labrat can keep up with NCIS standards." Kate said with a malicious smirk. "Wanna see how long it takes us to send her scurrying back to the House that Hoover built?"

"I'm in." Tony said gleefully. "McGeek?"

"I'm in too," McGee said with a smirk. "Let me just run upstairs and intimidate the new Probie for a minute and I'll be back down."

"Okay," Tony said. "But make sure you let the Boss's wife know what we're up to so she doesn't have the Boss man come back and rip us a new one for being assholes."

McGee nodded and disappeared up the stairs.

"Why the stairs?" Kate asked Tony.

"Probilicous has discovered that the new flunkies are much easily frightened when there's no telltale '_ding´_ from the elevator." Tony said. "So what's first?"

"Us making out in the ballistics lab." Kate replied happily.

"Uh, wouldn't that make your husband a little angry?" Tony asked skeptically.

Kate sighed. "Are you an idiot Tony? Don't answer that, I know your response. We _pretend_ to make out in the ballistics lab. It's in the back and soundproof. Little Miss FBI will be reaching for the phone in no time." Kate said, "She'll call Cynthia to report us to Mom, and then Mom will come down and all we'll be doing is having a conversation or something."

"Or," Jenny said from behind Tony and Kate, "You could come ask me what her name is, and I'll tell her she has to run the blood work."

Kate turned around with a sheepish smile. "But, Mom," she whined. "That would be absolutely no fun at all."

"For you no, but for me," Jenny said as she put an arm around Kate's shoulder to hug her, "It would be like bowling with Abby and the Sisters."

Kate and Tony shrugged.

"I'm gonna go put my Probies to work. See you around Kate, Director. If Jake calls me all excited later, I know nothing." Tony said as he headed for the stairs Jenny had emerged from. "Later."

"See you Tony." Kate said as she and Jenny walked into that lab.

"Ms. Glaser, I need you to draw some blood and run it for a pregnancy test." Jenny said as they entered the lab using her best 'Director Voice'.

"From whom am I drawing the blood, Director Gibbs?" The woman, Glaser, asked.

"Me." Kate said as she sat on a stool and held out her left arm. "Poke away and take out a half a pint."

"Is this case related, Ma'am?" Glaser asked puzzled as she began to gather the necessary supplies.

"Nope." Kate said as she popped the 'p'. "Just double checking the drugstore pregnancy test."

"Ma'am?" Glaser asked timidly, "Am I authorized to do such a thing off the record?"

"You are because I'm ordering you to." Jenny said. "Now get to work."

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Three hours later Kate was sprawled out across the couch in Jenny's office. "I'm going to be a MOM!" she squealed and rolled onto her stomach. "I can't believe it!"

"Neither can I." Jen said as she looked up from a case file. "I don't feel old enough to be a Grandma."

"You're not going to be a Grandma. You're going to be a Nana. Nana makes you seem younger." Kate said. "I'm going to the Hoover building to tell Jake, I can't wait until he gets home." Kate got up from the couch and grabbed her purse from the conference table. "Bye."

"Be careful." Jenny warned. "I don't want you to hurt my grandbaby!"

"Gotcha Ma!" Kate called over her shoulder. She waved goodbye to a six month pregnant Cynthia, her relationship with Callen was still going strong; this was baby number two for them.

Kate danced down the stairs, waltzed around the Bull Penn and seriously freaked out Special Agents Sim and Grimes as she said goodbye to McGee and Tony with a silly grin on her face.

Twenty minutes later Kate walked into the lobby of the Hoover building with the same grin on her face and waited in line for a visitor's badge.

"Kate!" Kate turned and saw Tobias Fornell approaching her. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good Uncle Toby." Kate replied as she hugged the older man. "I thought you were retiring this year."

"I am." Fornell replied. "Just not until the end of the year. What are you doing here?"

"I have to see Jake," Kate said. "I've got some great news that just can't wait!" Kate was bouncing in her place in line and was starting to scare the man behind her in line.

Tobias looked at her for a moment and then it dawned on him. "You're pregnant!"

Kate nodded. "Isn't it great? Can you just not mention anything until Jake does?"

Tobias nodded.

"Thanks." Kate said. "Like five people know already, and none of them are Jake."

"And let me guess, you wanted to tell him first." Fornell said.

"And it backfired." Kate replied. "Now half of my pseudo family knows before my hubby." Kate was now the next in line.

"It happens Kiddo." Tobias said. "I've got to go; I'm needed at some crime scene in some West Virginia boondocks town."

"If you hear banjo music lock your doors and drive faster." Kate said jokingly. "And don't stop and let old grannies in your car. You'll never know if they'll try to rob you."

"You've been watching too much of the Beverly Hillbillies movie." Fornell said with a laugh.

Kate nodded. "Bye Uncle Toby."

"Bye Kate."

Kate was issued her badge and rode the elevator to Jake's floor with some LEOs and lawyers. Kate didn't know which ones were bugging her more; the cologne from the lawyers of the coffee smell from the cops. Both were making her sick to her stomach. Kate pushed her way off of the elevator and zigzagged her way across the floor to Jake's cubicle.

"Knock, knock." Kate said as she knocked on the side of the partion.

Jake looked up from his computer and smiled. "Hey Beautiful." He said in greeting and pulled Kate onto his lap. "What brings you to my neck of the woods today?"

"I took the day off," Kate said, "and got some really great news." She kissed her husband on the lips.

"What kind of really great news?" Jake asked.

"Well," Kate said as she played with a strand of her strawberry blond hair. "We're going to have to pull all of that junk out of my old room in a month or two."

"Why are we going to have to move it?" Jake asked. He hadn't caught on yet. "We already have a guest room."

"We're also going to need some of Brianna and Brooke's old things." Kate said happily. "Mom already has Dad moving stuff around in the attic. He doesn't know why just yet."

Jake suddenly got it. "Are we having a baby?"

Kate's face light up. "You got it, Jake. You and I are going to be parents!"

"I'm going to be a Daddy?" Jake asked again.

"Mmhhmmm." Kate replied happily. "In about six months."

"I'M GONNA BE A DAD!!!" Jake whooped and stood up; taking Kate with him and her twirled her around in the aisle.

The men and women working around Jake stopped what they were doing and started applauding for the happy couple. There were a handful of catcalls and some chants of 'Kiss Her!'s from some co-workers, and lots of 'Aawws' from the female co-workers when they did kiss.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

**Three Months Later, Late September 2016**

Kate stood at the front of her classroom and watched her class work on their spelling page. One day in the distant future her little one would be in a classroom somewhere doing the same work. She just couldn't wait until the baby came.

The weekend before Tim McGee and Tony had arrived with her Dad to help Jake haul out the junk from the nursery and put her old crib together and bring up the twins' old changing table and dresser for them. So far all Kate knew was that she was having a boy. She and Jake were having issues with agreeing upon a name for their itty bitty son, but they still had three months to go.

Later that night around 11:30 Kate woke up in bed and shook Jake awake. "Jake-y" she whispered. "Can you run down to the store and get me some Moose Tracks ice cream, brownies and chocolate pudding? Please?"

Jake rolled over with bleary eyes and nodded. "You want Cool-whip too?" He asked as he pulled on his sneakers. Jake slept in sweat pants and a tee shirt now, never knowing when Kate's insane cravings were going to hit. This was one of her not so gross ones.

"Yes, please." Kate replied happily. She really wanted her ice cream and Cool-whip right now. "Just hurry please."

"Gotcha." Jake said as he kissed her temple and was gone.

When he came back ten minutes later Kate was fast asleep again, Jake just put everything away. He knew she'd be up in an hour or two looking for her midnight snack again.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

**Two and a half months later, November 13, 2016, Bethesda Naval Hospital**

Kate was in agony. She had been in labor for almost two full days; her water had broken at the end of the Veterans Day ceremony she had attended with Jake in Anacostia. At her parents insistence Kate had been put in an ambulance bound for Bethesda whether she liked it or not.

"What about Deric?" Jake asked casually after Kate relaxed from another contraction. She just hoped her labor didn't decide to stop as the contractions got closer again.

"Deric Andrew Ryan." Kate said testing it out. "I like it."

"Me too." Jake said.

"You've finally got a name, Little Man." Kate said happily to her stomach. "Now come out!"

He didn't budge.

"Gahhh!!!!" Kate cried. Her doctor chose that moment to enter her hospital room.

"He giving you a hard time, Kate?" Dr. Patel asked kindly as she checked Kate's vitals.

"Yes." Kate replied sullenly. "Is is too late to ask for a C-Section?"

"Actually, that's why I'm here." The doctor said. "I think you've been in labor long enough."

"Me too." Kate said.

"Me three." Jake added.

"Alright, then." Pryia said. "Let's get you into OR."

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Two hours later, they had to wait for an OR to open up, Kate held a sleeping Deric in her hospital room.

"Hey, Daddy." She whispered to Jake. "Do you want to hold your son?"

Jake nodded and Kate handed him the baby. "Do you remember the day I came in and told you I was pregnant?"

"What about it?" Jake asked as he cooed at his tiny son.

"I almost walked up to you and said 'Hey, Daddy, guess what?' That would have given away my surprise."

Jake chuckled and leaned over to kiss his wife. "That would have certainly gotten my attention. Go to sleep, I've got him."

Jethro Gibbs smiled as he watched his daughter and son-in-law from the doorway. He was eager to meet his grandson, but that could wait until the little family had some quality alone time first.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

REVIEWS ARE WELCOMED AND WANTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gibby


	10. Oh, Daddy1990

This is a kinda continuation of the previous chapter. When Gibbs leaves to give the little Ryan family some privacy, he's thinking about the contents of this chapter. So I hope you enjoy it!

I own absolutely no-one in this chapter. Just the dog Skip. Just remember to REVIEW!!!!!!!!!

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Leroy Jethro Gibbs put his truck in park and turned it off. His seven year old daughter, Kelly, came bouncing out of the house in a pink Princess dress and the required pointy sparkly pink hat with the gauze tassel. "DADDY!" She yelled. "Do you like my Trick-or-Treating dress?" Kelly asked. "Mommy and me bought it today."

Jethro smiled and scooped Kelly up as he got out of his red Chevy. "I see that, Kells." Jethro said. "It's very beautiful."

Kelly giggled and Jethro spun her around once before setting her back down on the ground. Kelly proceeded to twirl around the front yard with her dress billowing out around her, and was rapidly joined by her best friend and neighbor Maddie Tyler. Maddie was wearing an almost identical dress, except that Maddie's was purple. Maddie's dog, Skip the ever faithful blood hound, raced between the girls occasionally barking.

Jethro let himself in and watched his wife Shannon folding laundry in the living room.

"Are you just going to stand there staring at me, or are you going to put this basket upstairs for me?" Shannon asked. She didn't have to look over her shoulder to know her husband was the one watching her.

Jethro chuckled and took the aforementioned basket and brought it to the top of the stairs where Kelly would be responsible for getting her clothing out of it later that afternoon.

"How was your day?" Jethro asked as he joined his wife on the couch.

"Crazy," Shannon said. "I'm past exhausted, and Kelly's just a ball of energy today."

"I noticed." Gibbs said indicating to his daughter and her friend in the yard. "She and Maddie are having the Princess Ball in the front yard with Skip standing in for Prince Charming."

Shannon laughed for a bit before she sobered up. "How long will you be at Camp Pendleton for this time?"

Jethro sighed. "I have no clue. All we're being told is that we could be gone from anywhere between two weeks to four months."

"When do you leave?" Shannon asked as she laid her head on Jethro's shoulder.

"November 5th." He replied. "I'll be able to take Kelly out on Halloween for you."

"That's good." Shannon murmured.

"I think we're getting reassigned to Pendleton." He said eventually. "Nobody's giving Pete a set return date, and with the mess in Kuwait…"

"You may get deployed." Shannon finished.

Jethro nodded glumly.

"Well," Shannon said happily. "I've got some news that may just cheer you up, Daddy…"

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

When Kelly let herself back into the house a few minutes later, she found her parents making out like teenagers on the couch.

"YUCK!" Kelly exclaimed.

Jethro and Shannon pulled apart, a little embarrassed. "What's so yucky, Pumpkin?" Jethro asked Kelly.

"You and Mommy kissing like that on the couch." Kelly replied.

"Well," Jethro said with a ridiculous grin on his face. "We've got some good news for you Kelly."

"What?" Kelly asked excitedly. "Are we getting a puppy like Maddie's?"

"No." Shannon said firmly seeing the glint in Jethro's eye. "Not a puppy."

"What?" Kelly asked as she started to bounce with excitement.

"I'm going to have a baby!" Shannon said. "You're going to be a big sister!"

Kelly let out an ear shattering shriek of joy and started jumping around the living room. "I'M GONNA HAVE A BABY SISTER!!" she yelled happily.

"The baby could be a baby brother." Jethro said trying to warn his daughter that she may be disappointed.

"Nope." Kelly said cryptically. "Mommy's gonna have a girl, and I'm going to be the bestest big sister ever!"

Shannon and Jethro just had to laugh at Kelly's antics.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

**Camp Pendleton, April 1991**

Jethro Gibbs wheeled himself down the hallway and towards the elevator bay. Once he got onto an elevator he pushed the button for the maternity ward and waited to see his daughter. Two off duty nurses were in the car with Gibbs. One of them noticed the borrowed scrubs Gibbs was wearing and his hospital ID Bracelet.

"Trying to escape Gunny?" she asked trying to flirt with him.

"Nope." Gibbs said abruptly. "Going to see my new daughter." Gibbs said as the door opened and he wheeled himself out towards Nancy at the reception desk. "Afternoon Nance."

"Hey, Jethro." Nancy said looking up from her gossip rag. "Mike Franks is waiting with Kate."

"Thanks." Gibbs said as he rolled through the doors. Gibbs smiled when he saw Agent Franks cooing at the infant. The normally gruff man was a surprisingly sweet man around Kate. She seemed to posses the power to turn grown men into babbling idiots.

"Hey, Probie!" Franks greeted his newest agent.

"Mike." Gibbs said as a nurse handed him Kate for the first time. "Hey Princess." He whispered.

Kate's eyes fluttered opened and enthralled her father with their depth and the intensity her young stare seemed to posses.

"Oh, Katie-kins," Gibbs whispered as he kissed her forehead, "You're gonna be a heart breaker."

Kate gurgled in response and snuggled into her father's warmth and fell asleep. Safe, for now, in the arms of her protector.

Gibbs smiled as her little body sought out the warmth his was giving off. "Oh, Princess." Gibbs said. "Your Big Sister Kelly was right." He said as he choked back tears. "You're a girl, and Kelly would have been the best big sister to you."

Jethro sighed and remembered the look of pure joy on Kelly's face when he and her mother had told her about the new baby. He jut hoped that one day he would see that look on Kate's face as he sat her down to tell her she would be a big sister as well.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Well, this is oddly short for me… Oh well. Reviews please!!! The more reviews I get, the faster I post. I've got chapters 11-20 all outlined, and chapter 17 is already written. A handful of them will be episode based, so chapters 13, 18, and 19 all depend on USA network and the Slueth Channel's scheduling. Enjoy!!!!


	11. September 11th

Here's chapter 11! I had nothing better to do today, so I decided to post it a day ahead of time!

I personally don't remember much about this day, I was a fourth grader (Oh my God I was so young!) on 9/11 and all I remember is that around twoish all the fourth grade classes squished together in my classroom, I somehow managed to snag a seat in between my best friends Amanda B., and Amanda M., and then my teacher dropped the proverbial bomb and I swear to God my heart skipped a few beats. I was afraid to watch the news for two months afterwards because all they kept showing was the planes hitting the Twin Towers over and over again. To a nine year old that stuff is really scary. My sister who's two years younger than me just didn't watch TV with my parents anymore because my parents were glued to the news and it made the two of us want to cry. My brother, who was five didn't understand what was going on, and just wanted to watch Arthur on PBS and go on with his little kindergarten things. This chapter is dedicated in the memory of the victims and their families of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Lest we Forget. I can honestly say this will be one of the hardest chapters for me to write. To me and Kate this is the eye opener that the world isn't perfect and there are people that kill for reasons that don't make sense to anyone other than themselves. So, I'm going to stop this long author's note before I start to ball my eyes out remembering that day and get on with the chapter.

As usual, all I own is Kate and the Taylor family. And Mrs. Monks and Mrs. Harris. So don't sue me.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Kate and Becky had desks next to each other in Mrs. Monks' fifth grade class at George Washington Carver Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia. The fact that they were best friends in the same class was just "fantasmical" to them.

Today, nine year old Kate was antsy. Her Mom was flying home from Toronto that day after spending the weekend with her sick old Aunt Mellissa. Aunt Missy was 75, sickly, had osteoporosis, and was a cat lady. Kate wasn't a big fan of cat ladies; they made her feel icky because Kate was slightly allergic to cats. Meaning, that Kate didn't like cats, period, and was a fan of canines. It wasn't the fact that Mom had just spent three days with a cat lady that had Kate's gut churning; something didn't feel right about today.

"So when's your Mom coming home?" Becky asked Kate as they got off the school bus and started the treck up the long walkway to their school. As usual, their bus was the last one to arrive in the morning.

"Sometime today." Kate responded. "Dad said she flew out of Toronto last night because her Aunt Missy felt better, and she spent the night in Boston, and she's gonna pick up a flight to Dulles this morning if she can. Do you like my tee shirt?" Kate asked Becky. The shirt in question had the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumph emblazoned across it with sparkles and little beads for lights.

"Yeah!" Becky said enthusiastically as they walked past the main office and waved to Mrs. Harris, nee Kelly, at the front desk. "Where'd you get it?"

"Paris." Kate replied and stuck her tongue out at Lily Humphries who had "Harrumphed," Kate's claim. "I got to tag along when Director Morrow sent Mom and Dad to Europe this summer."

"Lucky!" Becky said. "You never said you went all over Europe! All we did was go to Luray Caverns and Dollywood."

"Yeah," Kate said. "But did you get the stuff I sent from Disneyland Paris?"

Becky nodded. "Did I mention you're the best friend I could have asked for?"

The girls dissolved into giggles and hung up their backpacks in their cubbies before sitting at their desks as Mrs. Monks took attendance. As she did this, she asked Jacob Ryan, the class clown, to write the date, Tuesday, September, 11, 2001, on the board for her.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

At nine fifteen Mrs. Monks received a call from the main office to send Kate down to see Mrs. Harris.

"Kate," Mrs. Harris said, "Your Mom's on the phone, Sweetie." She handed Kate the receiver and turned her head to wipe her eyes.

"Hi, Mom!" Kate chirped and she sat down in the empty chair next to the secretary. "Why are you calling me in school?"

"Oh, Katie-Pie." Jenny said sounding relieved to be speaking with her stepdaughter. "I missed my plane to Washington."

"So, you're calling _me_ because you're stuck at Logan Airport?" Kate asked skeptically.

"I missed my flight." Jenny repeated even more strongly. She was glad Kate was oblivious, but that would soon change. The Pentagon loomed over the elementary school, just a mere three miles from the students and the neighborhood the school occupied.

"Okay." Kate said. "Why do you keep saying that Mom? What's wrong? If it's a code for Daddy, I don't know…"

"Katie-Baby." Jenny said cutting off Kate's rant. "I'm fine. You'll find out what's wrong when you get home. Your father is sending Tony to dismiss you from school and he's going to take you to the Navy Yard."

"Okay." Kate quipped. "He's coming in now."

Indeed he was. As Kate and Jenny were talking Mrs. Harris had buzzed Tony into the school and he was approaching the front desk/counter to speak with the secretary. "I'm here to dismiss Kate Gibbs." Tony told Mrs. Harris as he smirked at Kate.

"I have to go Katie." Jenny was saying in her ear. "I love you, Sweetie."

"I love you too, Mom." Kate said. "See you when you get home."

"Bye." Jenny said and hung up. Kate sighed as she placed the receiver back in its cradle.

"So, Tony," Kate said. "Why am I being dismissed?"

Tony shrugged as he took off his Aviator's. "The Bossman wills it. I go do his bidding."

Kate giggled and slid out of the wheelie chair she was in. "I'll go grab my backpack."

Once Kate was out of ear shot Tony's shoulders slumped and he looked at Tina Harris and sighed. "They have no idea, do they?"

The secretary shook her head. "We're waiting to tell them this afternoon before they go home for the day. If there are any students with relatives flying today, well then, let's just hope they weren't on those flights."

Tony nodded. "I know. Her father was a wreck up until a half hour ago when Jenny called and said she had overslept and missed her flight. She said her next call was to here once she could get back in line for a payphone. She left her cell on all night and it died this morning. Are you going to be okay?"

Tina nodded. "My older brother works, or should I say _worked_ in the North Tower until yesterday. He quit last night and told his boss to shove it. He's called me twice already to make sure I'm okay and that I know he's alive and just as horrified as he is. He was supposed to go back and clean out his desk today."

"He's a lucky one." Tony commented. "So where do I sign to be given custody of the Squirt?"

"Oh!" Mrs. Harris exclaimed and placed the clipboard on the counter. "I forgot to put this out this morning."

"It's going to be a long day." Tony said.

"Why?" Kate asked from behind Tony.

"Uh...Well," Tony said. "You're Dad's in a bad mood this morning and thought you could cheer him up!"

"Well, why's he in a bad mood?" Kate asked as Tony wrote down the time of dismissal and signed his name.

"Uh, the probie Rimes spilled your Dad's coffee all over the Bull Penn floor this morning and Gibbs was pretty upset." Tony explained as he opened the door for Kate and put his sunglasses back on.

"Oh," Kate said. "Rimes is in for it then!" It was 9:36. "What's that?" Kate asked as she pointed to a large object quickly approaching the Capital City.

"A plane…"Tony trailed off. "SHIT!" He yelled. "Kate run! Now get to the car! Go, Go!" Tony said as he began to run to the NCIS vehicle parked at the curb. He wrenched the driver's side door open and flipped on his radio. "Control! This is NCIS Special Agent DiNozzo! We have a large plane approaching the Penta…" He was too late.

Kate screamed as they watched the plane fly straight into the Pentagon. She ran to Tony and buried her face in his chest and she began to cry. Tony just held her and stared in shock. '_So many people, and their all dead_' Tony thought to himself. '_Ducky's going to be really busy this week.´_ He added morbidly.

"Tony, why would anybody do that?" Kate asked as she cried.

"I don't know." Tony said. "I honestly don't know." He had more to say but was cut off by his cell phone ringing. "DiNozzo." He answered. "Oh, hey Boss. Gotcha. Take Kate straight home and stay with her." Tony hung up and guided Kate to the back seat of the car. "Come on, change of plans." Tony told her.

"Because of what just happened?" Kate asked.

Tony nodded. "I'm taking you home, you're Dad's coming to get you and you'll go with him somewhere with him. And I'm going back to work."

Kate nodded and buckled herself up as Tony got back in the front and started the car, flipping on the rarely used siren and lights and headed for the Gibbs family home in Arlington.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

When Tony and Kate arrived at the house Gibbs was waiting for them. Kate launched herself out of the backseat and attached herself to her father.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and looked at Tony.

"We saw the plane hit the Pentagon from the school parking lot." Tony told him. "She's pretty upset about it."

Jethro sighed. "Jenny's stuck in Boston until she can get on a bus or the FBI loans out a vehicle for her to drive home in. Ducky's already been summoned to the Pentagon and so has the rest of the squad room."

"What about us?" Tony asked as Kate got into her Dad's car.

"Us too." Gibbs replied. "She's going to stay with Abby in the lab. She'll be safe there."

Tony nodded. "I guess I'll meet you at the Pentagon. Who has the truck?"

"It's in the garage waiting for you." Gibbs replied. "Rimes went out with Balboa's team. You gas the truck and head over and I'll meet you there. Use the sirens and lights."

Tony nodded and got back into his car. It was going to be an incredibly long day.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Kate sat on the futon in Abby's office with her eyes glued to the TV. Abby was sitting next to her and Bert was passed between the girls and had the stuffing squeezed out of him several times a minute as they flipped channels. Every major network that had a news program was running feed form ZNN or the stations closest to DC and New York were all showing loops of firefighters rushing around and survivors staggering up and down the streets of New York. Kate was crying and Abby was on the verge. From one of the video techs that had come down to see if they wanted lunch, Director Morrow had holed himself up in ATAC and hadn't emerged since going in there around 8 am.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Jenny put the 'borrowed' FBI SUV in park and entered the NCIS building. It was practically deserted. Since today was her day off, and everybody was over at the Pentagon, Jenny headed straight for Abby's lab, fully knowing that Kate and Abby would be down there with their eyes glued to ZNN.

She was right. It was now four p.m., and they had only moved to eat lunch and use the bathroom.

"Change the channel." Jenny ordered as she entered the office. "Now."

Abby scrambled for the remote and put on Nick. It seemed weird to watch Rugrats after watching the horror in New York and just across town.

"Is Mr. Taylor, alright?" Jenny asked Kate as she sat on the couch on Abby's right.

"He's in Woburn visiting his parents." Kate replied. "Becky said he called their house when Becky got home to let her know that he's okay and not to worry."

Jenny nodded. "It seems like we know a lot of lucky people."

Kate nodded. "I wish Daddy was here."

"I know, Sweetie," Jenny said and Kate climbed over Abby and settled into Jenny's lap. "It's going to be alright."

Kate nodded and let Jenny hold her in a hug for almost an hour.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Jethro stepped off of the elevator in the squad room exhausted. It was just after 10 p.m., and he wanted to go home, but no, Director Morrow wanted him up in ATAC as soon as he got back.

"Director." Gibbs said once he had scanned into the Antiterrorist Alert Center, the name seemed kinds useless after today, and sat next to Morrow in the front row. The Director was watching a live feed of the Twin Towers someone from the FBI had set up for the Federal Agencies to watch from their ATAC centers.

"Jethro." Morrow said. "I hear that Kate was a witness to the plane hitting the Pentagon."

"Unfortunately." Gibbs replied. "She was worried about her friend's father until she found out he had taken a few days off to visit his parents in Massachusetts and his office is on the other side of the building."

Morrow nodded. "Our psychologist is available for her if Kate has any nightmares or lingering aftereffects."

Gibbs gave the director a curt nod. "Anything else, Sir?"

"How many bodes does Ducky have in Autopsy?" the Director asked sadly.

"Fifteen Marines and Naval personal, Sir." Gibbs said unhappily. "They were wearing uniforms when we found them. DiNozzo called me as I was driving back with Ducky to tell us they had found four more for our morgue. Ducky's running out of room."

Morrow nodded. "It's a devastating issue every morgue in the area will be facing, Jethro. From what I've heard in New York, there's still thousands of people unaccounted for."

Jethro sighed. "I'm going to go home to a nine year old who's going to want to know why this is happening. I have no answers for her. I...I don't know anymore, Tom." Jethro said frustrated. "My wife called me at five and told me that our daughter is afraid to leave the lab. Hell, I think she's going to be afraid to get up and go to school tomorrow and look out the window of her classroom at the big gaping hole in the Pentagon!"

Morrow nodded for the fourth time. "She knows that you'll keep her safe?"

"Hell yes." Jethro responded. "I'm going to try to talk Jenny into transferring Kate to the school Abby's Sisters run in DC."

"No view of the Pentagon?" Morrow asked.

"No view of the Pentagon." Jethro answered. "Plus Sister Rosita loves Kate to begin with."

"If Jenny has any reservations about the money, come talk to me."

Gibbs looked at the Director like he'd grown another head. "Sir?"

"You know that I don't have any children of my own, Jethro."

"I do, Sir." Gibbs replied.

"Well, I like to think that if I had a daughter she'd be like yours. Spunky, young, smart, beautiful, innocent. I'd like to help preserve your daughter's innocence if it means moving her to a private school from public."

"Thank you, Sir." Jethro said. "But that's not necessary."

"It's between old friends, Jethro. Not between Director and Senior Special Agent In Charge." Morrow said. "I want to help."

"We'll think about it, Tom." Jethro said as he stood up. "I need to get home before the girls start to panic on me."

Morrow chuckled. "I thought I saw Abby leaving with Kate and Jenny when I stepped out to stretch my legs around six."

"Thanks for the heads up." Gibbs said as he got up to leave. "I'll be back tomorrow night. I'm going back to help in the morning."

Morrow nodded. "Until then Jethro."

"Tom." Gibbs left and headed for his desk. He paused and felt a small smile on his face as his gaze fell on Tony; the younger man had fallen asleep at his desk and he was covered in dust and plaster. Tony's face, however, was line free and looked almost ten years younger; twenty years younger than the way he had looked while they were helping shift through the rubble.

"Tony." Jethro whispered and shook his Senior Field Agent's shoulder. "Tony, time to wake up."

"Five more minutes." Tony moaned. "Go away, George."

"George?" Gibbs asked "Who the hell is George, DiNozzo?"

"The butler." Tony replied in his sleep.

Jethro just smiled and turned the light off on Tony's desk before proceeding to his desk and doing the same. As Jethro gathered up his gear, he looked out the window and sighed. He had a clear view of the Pentagon and could still see the smoke and dust billowing up into the night sky; it was illuminated by the spot lights the searchers had brought in around six to set up for the night.

After several minutes, Jethro had gotten Tony awake and convinced to come home with Gibbs. After all, he already had Abby at home with Jen and Kate, one more wouldn't hurt.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

When Gibbs and Tony pulled into the driveway, all the lights were on in the house and Abby's hearse was parked in front of the house.

"Abby's spending the night too, Boss?" Tony asked sleepily.

"Yeah, she is, DiNozzo." Jethro replied. "Got a problem with that?"

"Nope." Tony replied. "I just thought she'd be praying with the Sisters tonight."

Jethro shrugged and opened the front door. "DADDY!"

Kate came running down the stairs and into her father's open arms. She buried her face in his shoulder and clung on to him as tightly as she could. At nine, Kate's bear hug was already rivaling Abby's bone crushing hugs. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

"I'm fine, Kate." Jethro responded as her tried to put Kate back down. Tried being the operative word. Kate had jumped on her father and had her legs wrapped around his torso and her arms locked around his neck. "Can you let go for a sec? I think I'm going to fall over."

Kate relaxed her hold on her father and slid down so she was standing. "Daddy, how come those people crashed the planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon?"

Jethro closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them and took one of Kate's hands and led her into the living room to talk. Tony had wandered into the kitchen with Jenny and Abby.

"Kate, you know that there are other religions besides our own, right?" Jethro started.

Kate nodded. "There's Judaism, and Lutherans, and Protestants, and Hinduism." Kate said listing some of the religions she knew. "Um… The Greek Catholic Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and Islam."

"What do you know about Islam?" Jethro asked Kate. He was impressed she knew about Islam; when Jethro had been her age, all he knew about were the Catholics, the Christians and the Jews.

"They have a funny name for God and it starts with an 'A'." Kate said. "And Muhammad Ali is their leader." She added seriously.

Jethro had to stop himself from laughing. "Almost, the Muslims had a Prophet named Muhammad centuries ago. Muhammad Ali was a boxer in the 1960s."

"Oh." Kate said. "Oopsy."

"It's alright." Jethro said. "I'm impressed you knew about Islam at your age."

"One of the girls in my class last year was from Lebanon and she was Muslim. That's what they call people that follow Islam." Kate informed her father.

Jethro smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Islam is the major religion in the Middle East. The FBI and CIA seem to be under the impression that the hijackers came from the Middle East and were radical extremists."

"What's that mean?" Kate asked as she drew her legs up under her.

"It means that they would do anything for their religion if they believed that it was God's will." Jethro responded.

"So these people thought that God was telling them to fly big planes full of people into buildings full of more innocent people." Kate said. "I don't think God would tell anybody to do that."

"We can't ask them anymore, Kate." Jethro said. "They died when the planes collided with the building or the ground."

Kate nodded. "I don't want to go to school tomorrow."

"I know, Sweetie." Jethro responded. "Director Morrow gave your Mom the day off tomorrow so she could stay home with you."

Kate nodded. "I don't wanna go to sleep either. I'm scared I'm gonna keep seeing the plane hit the Pentagon."

Jethro pulled her into a hug. "We'll have a sleepover in the living room."

"How?" Kate asked. Jethro smiled.

Ten minutes later every mattress and couch cushion in the house had made its way to the living room with enough bedding and pillows for an army. Tony was waiting his turn to shower, Gibbs was in the Master bathroom and Abby was in the guest bathroom. Kate and Jenny were getting comfortable on the large bed and were swiftly joined by Abby. Tony and Gibbs followed shortly thereafter.

"So this is what you meant by a sleepover in the living room." Kate said as she snuggled in between Abby and her dad.

Gibbs smiled. "Yeah, this is what I meant. DiNozzo, turn off the lights while you're up."

"On it, Boss." Tony said and he flicked off the lights in the living room plunging the group into to total darkness. "Oww!" Tony cried. "Who moved the coffee table to the doorway?"

"Oops." Abby said from next to Kate. "I thought you saw it before the light went out."

"I didn't." Tony whined as he hobbled over to the bed and flopped down next to Abby. "Night John Boy."

Kate giggled at the Waltons reference and said, "Night Olivia."

"Goodnight Gibbs!" Abby said.

"Goodnight Tony." Jenny mumbled. "Night Jethro."

"Go to sleep and we're not the Waltons." Jethro said.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

When Kate woke up in the morning she discovered that while she had had no nightmares, she had somehow moved over Abby and woke up with her head on Tony's chest and her feet were down by her dad's head in a slightly awkward position.

"Morning, Squirt." Tony said when he saw that Kate was awake.

"How did I get over here?" Kate asked.

"I don't know." Tony replied. "You're some kind of contortionist extraordinaire."

Kate giggled, and since Abby had already gotten up, she was able to roll into a normal position. "What time is it?" she asked.

"08.00." Tony replied. "I don't think Gibbs is going to be getting up anytime soon."

Kate looked over at her father and giggled. He had gotten his hands on Kate's beloved stuffed dog, Teddy, and her teddy bear, Sandy, and he held them tightly to his chest in his sleep.

"It's cute." Kate replied happily. She looked up in time to see that Jenny was armed with a camera and had come out of the dining room to get pictures.

Jenny had taken almost twenty pictures before Jethro stirred and awoke to a face full of stuffed animals. "What the…" Jethro started and then Kate's giggles registered. He was in the living room on his mattress with Kate, Abby, and Tony. He saw Jenny with the camera and sighed. "How many pictures did you take, Jen?"

"A lot." His wife answered ambiguously. "And all of them are going up on the NCIS Most Wanted wall at work." She said as she sashayed out of the living room.

Jethro was up and after her in a flash, startling the woman and making Kate and Tony laugh.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

A week later, Jethro had convinced Jenny to transfer Kate to the Church's school, and Becky's parents were also in the process of transferring their daughter as well. Every student at GWC had spent the past week with guidance counselors talking about what they had seen and how they felt. Some students, like Kate and Becky, were being pulled from the school to go to private schools away from government buildings that could be potential targets for another terrorist attack.

Kate's biggest problem with her new school was the uniform. She looked like every other girl in the school in the skirt. Kate hated the skirt with a passion. She was more of a jeans and sneakers kind of girl over skirts and Mary-Jane's. She now had to wear the skirt and Mary Jane's. Kate wasn't too happy about that, but she got to see Sister Rosita every day, and Kate loved Sister Rosita to death. The Sister had taught Kate how to bowl when Abby had invited Kate to bowling practice one day when Kate was seven.

"Kate," Jethro said one evening. "We need to finish our conversation from last week."

"Okay." Kate said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"What happened last week." Jethro replied. "Apparently those men didn't think that God was telling _them_ to fly the planes into the buildings. They believed that He had told a man named Osama bin Laden to send people to fly planes into the Twin Towers and into the Pentagon."

"Why would that guy say that if it wasn't true?" Kate asked as she put her Reading book down; her class was reading _The Westing Game_.

"I don't know." Jethro lied. He sure knew why bin Laden had done it. Jethro had just decided to let Kate know when she was older and make her think he hadn't been able to find the information after the attacks.

"He's just a big fat liar if he's making people do stuff they think God wants them to do." Kate replied. "I bet Sister Rosita would say he's going to H-E- Double Hockey Sticks."

Jethro had to restrain himself from smiling; this was a serious conversation. "I'm sure bin Laden will be going there."

"Can I finish my homework?" Kate asked. "Callen said he's going to call me after dinner and I want to have my homework done so we can talk until you tell me to hang up."

Jethro nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Alright. Just remember something, Kate."

"What?" she asked as she twisted her head to look up at her father.

"I'm gonna always be here if you need to talk about this, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Kate said. "I love you."

"I love you too, Princess."

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Now that you're down here, click on that little green box and leave a review!


	12. Why?

This one's been rolling around in my head for a while, ever since I wrote chapter two way back in October. I didn't post it until xofreethelightox told me I had to or she would find a way to kill me with her mallets (she plays the bells in our school band). Ha-ha! Just kidding K! I know you wouldn't threaten to kill me with part of your instrument. _That's_ my job to threaten people with flutes. Just go ask Ronnie the Hobbit. =) hehe.

Anyways, Kate's three in this chapter and has a brand new favorite word…

CBS and Bellasario own everything else. I can't even afford to negotiate to buy the rights to a minor character, say like a vic. I have no cash and I want to go to a Red Sox game with my class this spring… Thank God for two jobs!

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Three year old Kate toddled around the living room dragging Teddy by the tail. Callen had sent him from some place far far away for her birfday. It was last week and there were presents and cake and ice cream and Mrs. Ducky had made Kate her favorite sketties and meatballs for her. Uncle Mike had given Kate a pretty necklace that Daddy had taken to the bank and put with Mommy's wedding ring and pretty necklaces.

Jethro smiled as he watched Kate walk around the living room and explore the dining room. Nothing amused his daughter more than 'splorin' as she called it. Today she had decided it was time to explore the dining room; she'd already explored the living room to the point that she knew where every crevice in the floor boards was.

"Why?" Kate asked as she pointed to the picture of Kelly and Shannon on the wall.

"Why, what Princess?" Jethro asked as he got up from the easy chair he had been reading the paper in.

"Why Mommy and Kelly there?' Kate asked.

"Because that's where I wanted to put the picture." Jethro said.

"Why?" Kate asked again.

"I felt like it, Princess." Jethro said.

"Why?" Kate asked yet again.

Jethro held back a groan. Kate had found her new favorite word; last year it her been 'no'. And Jethro had thought he was in the clear once the Terrible Twos were over, boy was he wrong.

Kate moved on from the picture and crawled under the dining room table and pulled her blankies, Yellow, Big Yellow, and Green after her. Each blanket had been named for the strip of satin that was sown to the edges of the blankets; they had been gifts from Shannon's mother. The beloved blankets were draped over the chairs to make a fort and Kate crawled out from and exposed chair to toddle into the living room and pull the afghan off of the couch.

"Kate." Jethro said. "That stays on the couch."

"Why?" Kate asked.

"Because that's the rule." Jethro replied as he took the hand knitted blanket back.

"Why?"

"I said so, that's why." Jethro said in full 'Daddy's Not Putting up with This Right Now' mode.

"Why?" Kate asked.

Jethro didn't respond. Kate stuck out her tongue and moved on.

She had momentarily abandoned her fort and was still carrying her dog around like a baby doll. '_Maybe I should just get her a baby doll for Christmas and some cardboard boxes and she'll be happy'_ Jethro mused as his daughter sat down on the stairs to admonish her dog for some kind of infraction.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Around diner time Kate sat at the kitchen table waiting patiently for dinner; chicken nuggets, peas, and French fries. Kate was protesting the time out she had received earlier that afternoon for knocking over her Gammy Gibbs' rocking chair and almost breaking it.

"Eat your peas." Jethro told Kate as she happily munched on the dinosaur shaped chicken nugget.

"Why?" Kate asked using her favorite word.

"They're good for you." Jethro replied. "Mmmm. These peas sure are yummy."

Kate watched her father as he over acted to try to get her to eat the little green vegetable. If he thought his idea was working, well she had news for him. "Why?"

"You have to eat them if you want ice cream." Jethro told her.

"Why?" Kate asked happily as she 'accidentally' dropped a spoonful of peas on the floor as she waved her spoon around. She smirked to herself, she was getting rid of the icky green things if it was the last thing she did!

"Peas make you big and strong like me," Jethro said. "Don't you want to be big and strong like Daddy is, Kate?"

Kate thought about it, if the icky green things would make her big and strong like Daddy, well then she would just have to eat them. She wanted to grow up to be a big, strong, brave grown up like her Daddy. So, Kate reluctantly opened her mouth and shoveled the peas in with a defeated look on her face.

'_Score One for Team Daddy'_ Jethro thought to himself. '_I wonder if I can use that one on her every time she gives me a hard time about eating her vegetables._'

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

A week after Kate had started asking 'why', Jethro was ready to explode. All Kate did now was sit around and ask him 'Why?' and he didn't have the answers to half of her questions. It was driving him up the wall.

"Kate," Jethro said finally one afternoon in April. "Come here please."

For once the little bundle of energy did what she was told without asking her favorite question. She pulled Teddy in with her and the two made themselves comfortable on the couch.

"Kate, I need you to stop asking adults 'why' all the time." Jethro said as he sat down next to her. Next thing he knew, his little Princess had climbed into his lap and was facing him.

"Why?" Kate asked solemnly.

"Because we don't always have the answers to your questions, Princess." Jethro said. "You can ask sometimes, but not all the time like you've been doing. Do you understand?"

Kate nodded. If she couldn't ask her Daddy 'Why?' all the time then she could settle with the question she had been thinking about all week.

"Daddy," Kate said innocently. "Where do babies come from?"

Jethro nearly fell over in shock. Maybe he did prefer her asking him "Why?" all the time.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Here you go! Some father daughter bonding time! Now click on the little green box and let me know what you think of it!


	13. Little Brother

So here is the chapter that Kate finds out she's going to be a big sister for the first time. This is going to be a shot in the dark, because I don't remember how my parents told me I was going to be a big sister, because I was two when my sister was born (and woke up from a nap to find my Mommy and Daddy gone. That was the end of naps for me!), and then I was four when my brother was born and all remember is that Mom couldn't come to camp with us because her doctor told her to stay home, and then one day we came home, and a few days later there was this little screaming baby kicking me out of my room and into my sister's room. I wasn't too happy about that part.

I own nobody but Kate, Jay-jay and any miscellaneous characters that don't come from the show. Please don't sue me CBS!!!!!

I also don't own Locks for Love; I've made several (five) donations to the nonprofit organization for children with cancer. They take the donated ponytails and use five or six to make wigs and give them to kids who will have long term hair loss. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside every time I chop off a foot of hair for cancer patients. =) Give it a try!

Kate is thirteen in this chapter, and it takes place two months after Bête Noir, and Kate has totally recovered from that. She just feels bad for Ari; because she knows that her Dad will try to kill him when they meet again.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Thirteen year old Kate Gibbs sat in her back yard and ran a hand through her now very short blond hair. Her hair was now chin length as opposed to her mid back, and she had donated her hair to the Locks for Love Program, and Kate planned to do that several more times in the future. She felt good knowing that her hair would help make some other child's day better.

The May day was warm and sticky and Kate was under the shade of the big oak tree. She and Becky had built a tree fort with some help from Jethro in April, and it was ready to be used all summer long. Kate was bored because Becky had gone to visit her Maw Maw and Pawpaw in South Carolina for the weekend, and Kate was home alone and bored out of her mind. She had already done her homework, cleaned her room and putted around the house looking miserable until her parents had kicked her out of the house.

Kate sighed and got up, planning to sneak back into the house to grab a Trixie Belden book or a Harry Potter novel. As Kate slid the back door open she heard her Mom hang up the phone and disappear down the stairs to the basement to talk to Jethro. He was working on another boat, and at this stage of the building process Kate knew to stay out of the basement unless she had permission to be down there.

Kate was able to sneak up into her room and sink down onto her bed and stared at her overflowing bookshelf to pick out a book. She was wavering between _Goblet of Fire_ and _The Secret of the Diary_, a Nancy Drew book, when Jenny called up the stairs.

"Kate! Can you come down stairs? Your father and I have something to tell you!"

Kate rolled off of her bed and flew down the stairs and plopped down on the couch. "What's up?" She asked.

Jenny was sitting in an arm chair with a giant smile on her face and Jethro was perched on the arm of the chair. Jethro's smile mirrored Jen's and Kate was a little worried.

"We have some incredible news for you." Jenny said as she gazed up at Jethro with a love sick expression. Jethro had his hands on her shoulders and gave them a little squeeze.

"We're getting a puppy!" Kate guessed. "Is it a Sheppard? When are we getting it? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Not a puppy." Jethro said proudly. "It's even better than a puppy."

"What is it?" Kate asked. It was better than a puppy, so she was excited. This meant that Kate was bouncing up and down on the couch and was abusing the cushions and the nearly twenty year old springs.

"We're having baby." Jenny said happily.

"A baby!" Kate repeated. "When? Is it a boy or girl? Am I gonna have to share my room? Oooh! Does Abby know? Can I help plan the baby shower? Do I get any cool big sister presents?"

Jethro laughed and said, "Calm down, Kate."

"It's a boy," Jenny said happily. "I'm three months along, so the baby should be here around Thanksgiving. Yes you can help plan the shower, no Abby doesn't know yet. You aren't going to share a room and we'll see about the presents."

Kate beamed. "Where's he going to sleep? Kelly's room is off limits, and the guest room is basically Tony's room and there aren't any other bedrooms besides mine and yours."

Jethro blinked. "We can tell DiNozzo to get his stuff out of the room. He has his own apartment for a reason, Kate."

"Okay." Kate said as she hopped off of the couch and headed for the stairs. "I'll let you be the one to tell him, then."

Jethro rolled his eyes. He wasn't ready to tell his Senior Field Agent that he and Jenny were expecting, and to move his crap into his own place. That part could wait a few months.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**July 2004, Jenny is five months pregnant**

Kate and Becky were swimming in Becky's pool when Mrs. Taylor came out and said "Kate, darling, your mother's on the phone. She wants to speak to you."

Kate hauled herself out of the pool and grabbed a towel to dry off with before she entered the Taylors' home.

"Hi, Mom!" Kate said when she picked up the phone. "What's up?"

"Your Dad and I are going out for a while," Jenny told Kate. "Tony's picking you up at four and taking you to the movies and dinner with Abby. Okay?"

"That's fine Mom. Can I invite Becky to come too?" Kate asked eagerly.

"I don't see why not." Jenny said. "Tony did say she was more than welcome to come."

"Cool! Thanks, Mom. Bye!" Kate said.

"Bye, Kate and stay out of trouble." Jenny ordered.

"Don't I always?" Kate replied and hung up. Kate raced back outside and cannonballed into the pool, thoroughly soaking Becky's little sister and brother, the twins Holly and Robbie.

"What's up?" Becky asked as Kate resurfaced.

"Tony's taking me and Abby to dinner the movies." Kate said. "You're invited too. I think between the three of us we can convince Tony to take us to see The Notebook."

Becky's face lit up with a giant grin. "Let me go ask my mom. This is gonna be awesome!" Becky swam to the ladder and climbed out and ran over to her mother on the deck to ask her.

Becky came bounding back over quickly and she nodded. "Mom says I can come, just as long as I behave myself."

"Good." Kate said as she got out of the pool. "It's almost time for Tony to pick us up, so let's go get changed." The two girls towel dried and went up to Becky's room to change.

At four on the dot Tony rang the door bell and they were off to Applebee's and to see The Notebook, Tony just didn't know it yet.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

As Becky, Abby and Kate were plotting against Tony, Jethro and Jenny were waiting for their real estate agent, Cathy Lowney to arrive and show them the house Jenny had fell in love with in Anacostia. Ever since Jen had watched the virtual tour she had her heart set on buying the house. All she needed to do was convince Jethro to _let_ her buy it. Jen had already sold her Great Uncle Alexander's hunting lodge in Austria and made a pretty penny on the profits.

"The house has five bedrooms plus the Master suite, Jethro." Jenny was saying excitedly. "I can use one as a study, the baby can have a playroom, Kate's room, and then we still have two extra guest rooms."

"I don't know, Jen." Jethro said. "I still have to pay the mortgage on the other house and Kate's going to college soon and she has school tuition now, I don't think we can afford a new house."

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Jenny said as she put her hands on her hips. "Are you forgetting I come from a wealthy family and just sold my great uncle's European hunting lodge for a price well over the asking price?"

Jethro looked sheepish. "I don't want to have to rely on your money, Jen. You know how I feel about the man should be the provider for his family."

Jenny sighed. "This is my baby shower gift to myself. Got that?" Jethro nodded. "Good, then that's settled. We're buying this house."

Jethro nodded; he knew when he was defeated, and accepted his fate. "How are we going to tell Kate that we're moving?"

Jenny sighed. "We'll find a way before September, and she doesn't have to switch schools if we keep her in the parochial school she's in now."

"Alright." Jethro said. "When this real estate agent gets here, let's ask her where we sign."

Jenny's face light up into a megawatt smile and she hug the air out of her husband. "THANK YOU! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Jenny released Jethro and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Have I ever told you that you're the best husband ever?"

Jethro couldn't help but smile as he watched his wife jump up and down like a teenage girl meeting their celebrity crush for the first time. He was whipped, and he knew it. Hell, he was actually proud he was whipped in this case. He couldn't wait to meet his son in four months.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate and Becky were using napkins as tissues as they watched The Notebook, and even Tony was try to casually wipe his eyes without being noticed. Abby was sobbing here eyes out on Becky's left and the young redhead handed the Goth some more napkins to use.

The end of the movie was one of the most depressing endings Tony had ever seen, including _Romeo + Juliet_ with Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo. He had cried for a good five minutes afterwards, he had watched it at home alone one night after his girlfriend at the time had mentioned it was her favorite movie.

Abby thought the ending was sweet and that was the way she wanted to go, just in her coffin, not a hospital bed.

Kate just thought about how it was so sad the Allie couldn't remember Noah, and immediately thought of Mrs. Mallard. Kate resolved right there in theater 10 to talk to Ducky and come up with her own way of helping the woman she thought of as a grandmother keep her whits about her.

Becky was crying because she was thinking like Tony. This was the saddest ending to a movie she'd ever seen, except for the end of _Bambi¸_ when Bambi's mother is shot by the hunters.

As the group of four emerged from the theater, Kate saw Jake Ryan and his cronies hanging around the concession stand. They were loudly conversing about how Jake and his family were moving to an affluent neighborhood in Anacostia and how much Jake was going to love living with rich people as his neighbors. This would benefit his old friends because they could come over as often as they would like.

Kate rolled her eyes and linked arms with Becky and they two girls stuck their tongues out as they walked past and dissolved into giggles when Jake made the same face back at them. Tony an Abby shook their heads at the girls' obliviousness. It was obvious to the adults that Jake was trying to show off to the girls, he had a crush on one of them, they just didn't know if it was Becky or Kate that was the object of Jake's affection.

"I so totally loved the part where they were just lying in the street and were all 'What do we do if there's a car?' and Noah just says 'Die.'" Becky said excitedly. "I wish I could find my own Noah, he was so cute."

"I can't wait until I'm old enough to date! But I think I finally know where babies come from." Kate said mischievously and Abby burst out laughing remembering the story Gibbs had told her about the first time Kate had asked that question ten years ago.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**August 2004, Jenny is six months pregnant**

Kate sighed as she packed up the last of her books and toys and taped the box closed. It was the end to one chapter in her life, she was moving to a new house with her parents and she wasn't too happy about it. The only good thing was that Jake Ryan was not a neighbor, and Kate was excited with that.

"Ready to go, Kiddo?" Jethro asked as he poked his head into his daughter's now Spartan bedroom. All of her posters, movie posters, favorite bands and movie stars, had been removed to reveal a lilac colored paint on the walls. Her twin bed was remaining; Jenny had purchased a full sized bed for Kate claiming that the girl would need a bigger bed as she grew. Kate didn't want to leave, but seeing as she was thirteen, she had no choice but to go.

"Why do we have to move, Dad?" Kate asked as she picked up the box and headed for the stairs.

"We're outgrowing this house, Kate." Jethro said as he took the box from Kate.

"Are we going to sell it?" she asked worriedly.

"No." Jethro replied. "I told you that already. This house means a lot to the two of us. It's were your Mom and I started our family."

Kate sighed. "That's exactly why I don't wanna leave."

Jethro placed the box marked 'Kate's books and toys No. 7. FRAGILE! (SNOW GLOBE INSIDE)' on top of a growing pile of boxes in the living room. "I know, Princess. But sometimes we need to do things we don't want to do."

"Like moving." Kate said as she sank down onto a decrepit looking sofa Jethro had bought the week before at a Goodwill store. The old house would be a false lead to anyone looking for Gibbs. If they broke into the house they would find mismatched furniture that would be expected in the home of a thrice divorced man, a child's bedroom that hadn't been touched in twenty-one years, a boat in the basement, and if they choose to dig even further in the basement, Gibbs's sniper rifle, its case and some ammo hidden in a jar of screws.

"Like moving." Jethro echoed. "But we'll be back here a lot to work on the _Jenny_." Gibbs told Kate. Jenny was making him leave the boat behind too; their new basement wasn't big enough for the boat to be built in.

"I like how you named this one after Mom." Kate said as she stood up and took her backpack off of a worn armchair that didn't match the couch. "Can I name the next one?" she asked eagerly.

Jethro laughed. "Let me finish building this one first!"

Kate smiled and bounced out the front door with her backpack for what she thought to be one of the last times. She climbed into the backseat of her dad's car and buckled up. She pulled out her blue iPod Mini and popped in her ear buds as Jethro locked the front door. A neighbor from across the street actually stopped mowing his lawn as he watched Jethro lock the door. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that the front door to the Gibbs house was _always_ unlocked. _Always_. Well, except for when Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs were both out of the country. Kate just wave to Mr. Zusak and selected a Good Charlotte song and ignored her dad for most of the ride; she was still a little mad about moving.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**November 2004, Jenny is Nine months pregnant, and ready to deliver at any minute…**

Kate snuggled down deeper under her new down comforter and flannel sheets. The November Saturday was cold, chilly, and the wind outside of Kate's window was howling. Kate figured it would be safer to snuggle up in bed, watch an hour of two of cartoons and make an appearance downstairs before eleven and still get pancakes from her dad for breakfast.

Kate was halfway through a Sabrina the Teenage Witch rerun when her door burst open, and Jethro came in, turned the TV on top of a white chest of drawers off and flung open Kate's closet in a flurry of activity.

"Hey!" Kate protested. "That was a good episode! Harvey was just going to tell Sabrina something important!"

Jethro turned and looked at Kate. "Jen just went into labor. Get dressed and meet us down stairs in ten minutes."

Kate hopped out of bed and pushed her father out the door. "Go away and let me get changed and I'll be down in two." Kate grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor, no stains or holes, and a tee shirt from her draws. As an afterthought Kate grabbed her St. Barbara's Prepatory Academy sweatshirt and threw it on with some sneakers and threw her hair into a messy ponytail. She had her iPod in her pocket and two _Artemis Fowl_ books in her hands. She was ready to go. "Ready!" Kate called as she thundered down the stairs.

Jethro handed her a plate of pancakes with instructions to eat on the way to the hospital. Kate knew not to ask for syrup on them; sticky substances were not allowed in her dad's new truck.

As Jenny went through her breathing exercises Jethro drove like he was in a car chase, eliciting several horns and fingers from his fellow drivers. Kate just hung on for dear life and nibbled on her pancakes as they raced to the local hospital. Kate didn't envy which ever police officer attempted to pull them over. Luckily for the Anacostia Police Department, the Gibbs family made it to the local hospital without being stopped once.

Tony met them at the ER doors. Kate had used Jethro's cell phone to call him and ask him to meet them at the hospital. Tony would stay with Kate in a family waiting room while Jethro stayed with Jenny in her room. Callen had been called, and the OSP agent was enroute from Los Angeles.

"So," Tony said after almost an hour of awkward silence. "Are you excited to be a big sister?"

Kate looked up from _Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident_ and glanced at Tony. "Yup. I helped Mom put the nursery together, and helped Dad paint the crib blue."

"Do you know what they want to name him?" Tony asked. "Gibbs hasn't mentioned any names, and it's kinda hard to ask him at work."

"I think they're going to name him Jethro Jasper." Kate said as she stuck out her tongue. "I don't like it, but I'm going to call him Jay-jay anyways, so it doesn't matter."

"Poor kid." Tony said dramatically. "He's being named after his father."

"Weren't you named after your father?" Kate inquired as she put down her book.

"Unfortunately." Tony replied as he picked up the remote to the TV. "What channel?"

"ABC Family." Kate said. "I wanna see if Full House is on."

Tony complied and they spent two hours watching the exploits of the Tanner family and part of Gilmore Girls when Jethro joined them with a ridiculous grin on his face. "He's here!"

Kate hopped up off of the couch and tackled her father with a bear hug that was tighter than Abby's bone crushing hug. "What's his name?" she asked eagerly.

"Jethro Jasper Gibbs." Jethro replied proudly.

"I'm calling him Jay-jay." Kate replied joyfully. "Can I see him yet?"

Jethro nodded. "Family only."

Tony turned off the TV and picked up his Buckeyes jacket. "Well, I guess that means I'll be going then."

"Like hell it does, DiNozzo." Jethro replied. "You're Kate's stepbrother, remember?"

Tony smiled. "I forgot about that, _Dad_."

"So, whose kid am I then?" Kate asked as they headed for Jenny's room.

"Jen's." Jethro replied. "Tony's my son from a previous marriage."

"Works every time." Tony said smiling as he tugged on Kate's ponytail.

Kate swatted Tony's hand away and was bouncing in anticipation. She couldn't wait to hold her little brother for the first time. "Can I hold him, Daddy?"

"Ask your mother first." Jethro said. "I don't see why not other than that."

"Okay." Kate said and she opened the door to Jenny's room. "Hi, Mom!"

Jenny looked up and smiled. Her red hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat and the rest of her hair was in a bun at the nape of her neck.

"Hi, Sweetie." Jenny said as Kate took the chair next to her mom's bed. "Do you want to hold Jethro?"

Kate nodded. "I can really hold Jay-jay?"

Jenny smiled at the nickname and looked at the redheaded hour old boy in her arms. "Jay-jay. It suits him."

"Plus it makes him sound way cooler." Tony said from the end of the bed. "He's gorgeous, Boss."

"Thanks, DiNozzo." Gibbs said gruffly as he watched Jenny teach Kate how to hold the baby with Jay-jay's head in her elbow, and her arms wrapped around his little body.

"Look at his fingers, Dad! They're soooo tiny." Kate cooed as she inspected her new brother. "He's even littler than I thought he would be."

"You and me both." Jenny said with a smile. "I thought he was going to be at least two pounds heavier."

"How come?" Kate asked innocently as Jethro and Tony looked everywhere but at Jenny.

"My scale." Jenny replied. "I guess I gained a little more weight than I thought I did."

"Well," Kate said optimistically, "look at it this way, Mom. Now there's more of you to love."

Jethro, Tony, and Jenny burst into laughter and Kate shushed them all when Jay-jay started to fidget. "He's sleeping!" Kate hissed.

Jethro couldn't help the smile that creeped onto his lips as he watched his new family together. He had a home, his health, good friends, his wife, and now two beautiful children. What more could a man ask for?

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Now click on the little green box and let me know what you thought!

PS I don't own ABC Family, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Full House, or Gilmore Girls. Or Artemis Fowl. So don't sue me!

REVIEWS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	14. Rope Swings and ERs

This chapter is based on a true story. Names have been changed to protect the innocent and non readers that were present at the time of the event. The role of gibby101 in this story is being portrayed by Kate Gibbs. Tony DiNozzo is filling in for the author's uncle/godfather, Becky Taylor will be in the role of the author's cousin (older by nine months), and Abby Scuito will be playing the role of the author's little sister (two years younger.)

The moral of the following story is this: ALWAYS think before you leap. You just may end up in the emergency room a good 45 minutes away from home while you're still half in your bathing suit and freezing your behind off in the aforementioned air conditioned ER. And still waiting for that promised ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery…four months after your dad promised to take you.

OR: If you're trying to impress college boys, leave the tankini (no matter how cute it is and how it hides that slightly embarrassing 'food baby' you've developed by not joining a sports team that year) at home girls and break out the bikini, no matter if the it's mismatched because you lost the bottoms the summer before when you went tubing with your other uncle and lost the bottoms when you rolled of the tube _AND_ your favorite shorts too.

I'm posting this because I thought you could enjoy my idiocy for a while. I'm never going to live this down with my family, so I thought I'd share it with the internet. It's too bad I never got pictures of the bruise on my ankle…I almost made someone cry when they saw it for the first time.

I own nothing. Just the crutches from the ER in North Conway, NH, some notoriety at the rope swing, and some nice scars on my shins. I refer to it as "The Great Rope Swing Adventure". My parents call it "The Time Our Eldest Daughter Nearly Gave Her Godfather a Heart Attack and Drove Him to Drink All Night Long." Everybody thought I had broken my shins and maybe torn something in my knee… Lots of blood and swelling though. No broken bones, Thank GOD!

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Eighteen year old Kate Gibbs and her best friend Becky Taylor lay side by side on the back of the rented Four Winns Funship on Lake Ossipee in New Hampshire. Becky's family had discovered a little jewel of a campground on the main lake through their new neighbors, and had rented a park model in July. Becky had called Kate, Kate pleaded with her parents, and the next thing the Gibbs family knew, they were renting a park model at the end of August, a week and a half before Kate would leave home and start her freshman year at Salem State College in Salem, Mass.

Tony, Callen, and Abby had been roped into the vacation as well, and Jenny was _not_ taking 'No' for an answer from the three adults that she saw as pseudo children. Abby was stretched out at the bow of the boat, and Tony and Callen were fighting over radio stations on the satellite radio.

"Hey, Tony." Becky said as she rolled over in the late afternoon sun. It was nearing four, and Jenny had given orders for the boatload to be back at their campsite at four forty five exactly.

"What's up, Becky?" Tony asked the redhead as he defeated Callen in a rock paper scissors match to pick the radio station.

"Can we go to the rope swing?" Becky asked hopefully.

"Where is it?" Tony asked as he selected a station that the teenagers and Abby would both like.

"Back at the other end of the lake, by the sand bar and the gas station with the silver roof." Becky said. "We kayaked down the Bear Camp River when we were here in July, and the rope swing was so fun."

"Please, Tony?" Kate chimed in as she rolled onto her stomach and lifted her pink sunglasses so the two men in the boat could see her baby blue puppy dog eyes.

"Please?" The girls chorused together. "Pretty, please?"

"Fine." Tony said as he caved. "But only for a little while, Jenny wants us back at quarter of five to eat."

"Yay!" The girls squealed and jumped into the warm lake water before climbing back up the ladder.

"Why did you do that?" Callen asked. "You're just going to the other end of the lake."

The boat was currently anchored in an area of the lake commonly referred to as Long Sands by everyone around the lake. The stretch of 400 acres was state owned and protected land that everyone loved to swim at. Dead smack in the middle of the beach from one end of the reserve to the other was a large pine tree where a sign informed visitors about the new state enforced rules were and why there was a snow fence on the beach in August.

"Um, cuz I'm hot and the water's cold." Kate said as she climbed into the boat and pulled her life jacket on.

Callen rolled his eyes and went to the bow to wake up Abby. The Goth had fallen asleep underneath of a thick towel to protect her skin, but she had left her head exposed to get some sunlight. "Abby…"Callen whispered and shook her shoulder. Abby's had shot out from underneath the towel and connected with Callen's torso with strength that wouldn't have bothered him back in April. But now, four months after being shot multiple times by an unmarked paneled van, Callen still wasn't in tip top condition. "Oomph." Callen said as the wind was knocked out of him.

"CALLEN!" Abby squealed once she realized what she had done. "I'm sooooo sorry. I didn't know it was you! I thought Tony was being a jerk, and are you okay because I didn't mean it, and now I'm going…" Callen cut Abby off by placing a hand over her mouth.

"I'll be okay Abby. I just need a second to catch my breath." Callen replied as he sank down on the other bench in the bow.

"Tony," Abby said as she whirled around to face the boat driver. "Will you pull up the anchor so Callen doesn't over exhort himself?"

"Sure, Abby." The Italian American said. "Kate, take the wheel. When I tell you to push that lever there down, push it down."

Kate rolled her eyes as she took the wheel. "Tony, I know how to drive a boat. Remember how my Dad's the guy building a boat in the basement?"

Tony sighed and unhooked the knot and pulled the anchor up. Without a command from Tony, Kate did everything she needed to do, and was setting the speed boat in the direction of the Bear Camp River.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

When the boat arrived at the rope swing up the river, Abby had shed her black and pink life jacket, Becky was dangling her feet off of the bow of the boat, Kate was driving, Tony was sulking in the back and Callen sat in the copilot's seat holding on to the handle for dear life. Kate had driven like Gibbs in a high speed chase and Callen hadn't been expecting that. Everybody else, however, had driven with Kate before and had known what to expect.

Kate pulled the boat into a little cove across the river from the rope swing, and Tony put the anchor on the river bank. Kate and Becky dove off of the boat and into the river.

Kate's head popped up and she let out a shriek. "BECKY!"

"What?" Becky asked as she resurfaced.

"You didn't tell me the water was freezing!" Kate cried as she swam as fast as she could for the ladder that was on the river embankment. The ladder was made out of worn drift wood and nails. It was held in place by the tree roots that protruded from the large trees that lined the river. Kate climbed up onto the bank and waited behind a couple of muscular guys she had seen at the gas station earlier that day. "Hey." Kate said when the guy in front of her had turned around and smiled at her.

"Hey yourself." He replied. "Where are you from?"

"DC." Kate said. "What about you?"

The brunette boy smiled. "Burlington, Mass. I could have sworn I knew you from somewhere."

"It's okay." Kate said as she pushed her hair out of her face. "I'm Kate."

The boy smiled. "Danny."

"The evil redhead that's floating in the water flirting is my friend Becky." Kate said. "She just moved to Woburn, that's next to Burlington, right?"

"Yeah," Danny said as they moved up in line.

Kate felt the mud squish in between her toes and she sighed. She loved the outdoors, and this rope swing was in the middle of nowhere, and she watched as another boy that was with Danny climbed the smaller tree in the back. The rope was held by a smaller rope with a loop. At the top of the tree, Danny's friend sat down and tugged the smaller rope up. Once the rope was up to the point he could slide the swinging rope out of the loop he stood up and grabbed the rope at a higher point than the people going from a lower platform would grab it. Danny's friend, Tim, kicked off and flew over Kate's head, let go of the rope, and did a summersault in mid air before landing in the river with a mighty splash.

"Way to go Tim!" A couple of adults from a pontoon boat near Tony, Callen, and Abby cheered. "That was one more turn than last week!" One woman called out.

"Thanks!" Tim said as he treaded water to get out of the way.

Kate and Becky spent a half hour going off of the first platform from the oak tree that was closest to the river, occasionally climbing to the third rung from the platform. Tony and Abby had swum over for a few swings and were waiting on the boat.

"Becky, Kate!" Callen called. "We need to head back to the camp now!"

Kate and Becky groaned. "I'll go first." Becky said as she scampered up the tree to a platform that went straight down into the river. There was no rope access where Becky was and she jumped off of it and screamed "CANNON BALL!" before she hit the water. Becky's head popped up a few seconds later and she was laughing. "That was AMAZING!" she yelled back to Kate as she swam out of the way.

Kate laughed and eyed the tree Danny's friend Tim had swung out of earlier. She grabbed the rope as Tim handed it to her and slid the big knot into the sloop and climbed up the tree. When Kate reached the platform she felt the adrenaline pumping through her system. She was at the top of a tree and couldn't breathe, let alone stand up. Kate took a deep breath, adjusted her tankini top and gripped the rope in a death grip.

"Oh my God!" Kate opened her eyes to see Abby was freaking out in the boat across the river. "Tony! Make her get down from there. She's going to kill herself."

Tony looked up from the book he was reading; it was McGee's current manuscript for the next book in the LJ Tibbs series. Tony saw that Kate was sitting on the back platform griping the rope until her knuckles were white and she had her eyes closed. "Katie!" Tony yelled. "Get your but out of that tree now! Let go of that rope and climb down out of the tree."

"I'm going to do this!" Kate yelled back to Tony. "I'm facing my bête noir!"

"Damn." Tony muttered as he slammed the book down. "Don't be an idiot!" He yelled back. "I know just as well as you do what happens when…" Tony trailed off as Kate pushed herself out of the tree and Abby let out a blood curdling shriek as Kate's knees connected with the river bank and she was dragged into the water.

Kate hung onto the rope for a moment dazed before she let it go and slid into the water. She was floating and conscious.

"Are you okay?" Callen called from the boat. He would have gone in after her, but his doctor had told him to stay out of lakes, rivers, and the ocean until he gave Callen the all clear; something Callen was wishing had already had happened as he gauged his baby sister's reaction to the accident.

"I think so." Kate called back in a shaky voice. Suddenly her legs felt like they were being torn apart and she felt the tears of pain leaving her eyes. "No, I'm not!" Kate called as the pain increased. "HELP!"

Becky swam back to her best friend and scooped her up bridal style. Danny jumped in and helped Becky support Kate as Tony dove into the river to carry Kate back. Someone on the pontoon boat started the engine and the boat gunned across the river to the group surrounding the injured girl.

Tony put Kate on the bow of the boat as a cocker spaniel of some sort came to the bow to investigate what the hubbub was about. Sensing the upset girl the dog licked her face and Kate giggled through her tears. "You're a beauty." Kate said to the dog as she scratched its head and the dog's tail thumped against the floor contentedly as someone put a shopping bag full of ice on Kate's shins. Kate finally took a look at the damage.

Her legs from the knees down were swollen and bloody, with deep diagonal lacerations across them and across the tops of her feet. Kate whimpered as her legs were jarred when the pontoon boat pulled up alongside the swim platform of the rented speedboat and Callen scooped up the whimpering teenager. He placed her on the back bench and Abby was quick to hand the girl her life jacket and wrapped her legs in a towel so they would be immobilized.

"That was incredibly stupid!" Abby shrieked at Kate as Becky climbed into the boat and silently grabbed her own life jacket as Tony started the boat and Callen pulled in the anchor. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I don't know." Kate sobbed. "My legs hurt so much, Abby! I want my Daddy."

"Oh, Kate." Abby said as her angry demeanor crumbled. "Don't cry! I'm not really mad at you; I'm just surprised that you thought you needed to sink to that kind of shallow low to impress a guy!"

"How did you know I was showing off?" Kate asked through her tears as Abby stroked her hair.

"Because, Silly," Abby said affectionately. "You'd never try to conquer your fear of heights like that on your own."

Kate just started to cry harder. "I screwed up Abby; Daddy's going to kill me."

"No he's not." Callen said as Tony brought the boat out to the main lake and floored it to the campground across the lake. "He's going to whisk you and your mom to the ER, worry about you for a few hours. Guilt trips you and tells you that you're beautiful and that if you have to do something stupid to impress a guy then he's not worth it."

"How do you know that?" Kate asked and winced as they hit a big wave.

"Sorry, Kate." Tony yelled over the wind as he heard the whimper.

"Because," Callen yelled. "It's what I'd do if I was Gibbs."

Kate nodded. "You guys think an awful lot alike."

"To the point it's scary." Abby finished for Kate as she cradled the younger woman's head in her lap.

Becky silently sat in the front and grabbed the docking lines as Tony slowed down and approached the mooring field where they were keeping their rented boat. She threw the rope around a dock post and ran down the length of the dock screaming, "MR. GIBBS! MR. GIBBS! KATE'S HURT! KATE'S REALLY HURT!"

The couple whose site was at the top of the hill overlooking the dock came out to see what the commotion was about.

"What's going on?" The man asked as he watched Tony lift Kate up and Callen secured the boat with Abby trailing behind nervously.

"I think she broke her legs at the rope swing!" Becky said. "I need to go find her dad."

The man nodded. "Bring her over here! I'm an EMT!"He called to Tony. The NCIS agent nodded and carried Kate up the steps to the man's site.

"Thanks," Tony said as he laid Kate on top of the picnic table. The man sent his wife into their trailer and she emerged with an EMT bag overflowing with medical supplies.

"Casey, can you get more ice?" The EMT asked his wife.

"How much do you need, Rob?" Casey asked her husband from the screen porch.

"Two Ziploc bags; one for each leg." Rob replied as he used some gauze squares to clean the blood up from Kate's legs.

Kate was clinging to Tony's hand and was crying for her Daddy.

Becky came sprinting back down the road from their rental with Jethro trailing behind her.

"Daddy!" Kate sobbed when he took her hand from Tony's. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking and I…I…"

"Did something stupid." Jethro finished for her and kissed her forehead. "You're going to be okay, Princess. I promise."

Kate sniffled. "How bad to my legs look Mr.…"

"Call me, Robbie." Rob said. "Everybody does. I don't think you broke them, but you might want to head up to North Conway to be sure. I'll go print out some directions to the hospital for you, and you can take her up there for x-rays."

"Thank you, Robbie." Jethro said as he looked at Kate. "Tony, do you think you and Callen can get her back to our place so she can change before we leave?"

"We'll give it a shot, Dad." Callen replied as he looked at Tony. "You're carrying her, DiNozzo."

"Why me?" Tony asked as he scooped up Kate bridal style yet again. "You need to lay off the late night snack runs, Squirt."

Kate giggled and snuggled her head against Tony as she tried to stop crying.

"Which one of us got shot five times in the chest in May and almost died?" Callen asked Tony as they disappeared down the road toward the grouping of rental park model units with Abby trailing behind them.

"Thank you, again." Jethro said as Rob handed the former Marine the ice bags. "I'm Jethro Gibbs, we came up here from Washington to _relax_, and I think this vacation has been hectic enough for my wife and me."

"How many kids do you and your wife have?" Rob asked as they waited for the printer to kick in. Rob and his wife had laptops, a Nintendo Wii for when their daughters, Kristen and Jen were up, a printer, and a 19 inch TV that doubled as a computer monitor. They were in the White Mountains, but had all the modern comforts of home.

"Two." Jethro said. "Kate's the oldest, she's eighteen and starting college in a week and half, injuries permitting, and Jay-Jay's four and a half going on twenty. He's a huge ball of energy."

Rob laughed. "Who were the other three characters with you?"

"My slightly adopted son, Callen was the one who didn't pick Kate up, Tony's a friend from work, and Abby kind of adopted us as a group." Jethro explained. "We're a family, but we're not all related."

Rob nodded. "Not everyone has the luxury of coming from a large family."

"How many siblings did you have?" Jethro asked as he looked at a picture on the apartment sized fridge on the deck. It was a picture of a tent, with six adults, two women, and four men, including a younger looking Rob squeezed into the two man tent with huge grins on their faces. The girls were on top of the boys and looked like they were digging their elbows into their brothers' backs.

"Six." Rob said. "I'm the oldest, and my brother Jim died ten years ago in May."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Jethro said as he tried to change the subject. "Is North Conway the closest hospital to here?"

"Yes and no." Rob replied as the directions printed out. "There's one in Wolfborrow, but the one in North Conway specializes in bone fractures because the town is surrounded by ski resorts."

"So take the girl with possibly fractured tibias to the bone people."Jethro said. "Good idea."

"My brothers tell me I'm the brains of the family." Rob said cheerfully as he handed Jethro his directions.

"Thank you again." Jethro said.

"Don't worry about it." Rob said. "I'd do the same thing for anyone."

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Forty five minutes, one slightly awkward bathroom break involving parts of a cooler, piles of paperwork and the beginnings of a Red Sox game later the Gibbs family sat in the waiting room of the hospital in North Conway. Kate was in a wheelchair reading _The Book Thief_ with her legs stretched out on a chair in front of her. Abby and Jay-Jay were in a corner playing quietly. Well, Jay-Jay thought he was playing, Abby was teaching the four year old sign language so they could communicate without speaking in the future. Jenny and Jethro were on either side of Kate. Jethro would occasionally rub Kate's back assuring her that neither one of her parents were angry, they were just concerned. Tony, Becky, and Callen had left the hospital to get food for everyone, and had mentioned getting Car Side to Go from the Applebee's back in town.

"Kate Gibbs." A nurse read from a clipboard and Jenny and Jethro shot up like rockets. Kate winced as she eased her legs back down and Jethro grabbed the handles to the wheelchair to push her to her examination room. "Follow me please." The pediatric nurse said as she led them through the ER bay to a room with two beds in it. "Your hospital gown is on the bed, we need you to take your shirt and shorts off."

Kate nodded and Jethro took his hint to wait at the reception desk as Jenny drew the curtain closed to help Kate change. Jethro sighed as he waited trying to think what his daughter had been _thinking_ when she had decided to jump out of a tree on a rope into a chest deep river. According to Tony, Callen, Becky and Abby Kate had been trying to impress a guy from the town next to Becky's new home. Gibbs wasn't impressed. No guy was worth more than his baby girl's safety. He just hoped she realized that.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate sighed as the doctor came back with her x-rays and said that she hadn't broken any bones. Kate had badly bruised her legs and muscles, and was very lucky she hadn't snapped her neck with the way she hit the river bank. Kate had said a silent prayer to her Mommy and to Kelly for watching out for her even in her stupidity. But, what good were Guardian Angels if you didn't give them a surprise every once in a while? Kate would be on crutches for a few days with some nasty bruising around her ankles and was given a prescription for ibuprofen, some crutches and sent home.

"Daddy." Kate said meekly as he picked up her book from the bed.

"Yes, Princess?" Jethro asked as he watched his daughter try to get her balance on the crutches.

"I'm sorry I did that. I promise I'll try to never consciously do something that stupid and dangerous again." Kate said determinedly. "I mean it."

"You don't have to say that." Jenny told Kate as she hobbled out of the ER and back to her family in the waiting room. "We know you were just trying to impress a guy."

"Remember this one thing if you never remember anything else I've told you." Jethro told his daughter. "Rule Number 57, Your health is not worth impressing a possible significant other. If it seems like a bad idea, don't do it."

Kate nodded. "I think I can follow Rule 57 for the rest of my life."

"Good." Jethro said as he kissed the side of her head as a sleepy Jay-Jay wandered over to his mother and Jenny scooped him up.

"What's Rule 57 Boss?" Tony asked as he threw out the take out carton he had been eating from as he watched the Sox game.

"My newest one, DiNozzo." Jethro replied.

"I finally did something that was rule making worthy." Kate said.

"Look before you leap?" Becky asked her best friend.

Kate shook her head 'no'.

"Don't jump out of trees to impress college boys." Callen suggested.

"Close." Kate said as they walked and hobbled to the door.

"Your health is more important than what some boy you just met thinks about you." Abby guessed as Jethro unlocked their Suburban.

"You got it, Abbs." Jenny said as she climbed into the back to buckle Jay-Jay into his booster seat. Abby, Tony, Becky, and Callen climbed into the back with them, and Kate hopped into the passenger's seat and they sped off back to Lake Ossipee.

"So, Dad," Kate said as they were stopped by a red light in front of the Conway Scenic Railroad. "Can we go to Cold Stone? There's one by Applebee's and I bet it's still open."

"Sure." Jethro said. "You probably need something to eat anyways."

"So we're going to Cold Stone?" Tony asked excitedly.

"No, DiNozzo." Jethro said as they drove back into the shopping Mecca for the residents of the White Mountain area. "Kate and Becky are going to Cold Stone. The rest of us have already eaten."

Kate and Becky had a laugh at Tony's expense when his hopeful face fell, and he actually pouted.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

And in the end Kate actually gets her ice cream. I still haven't. I got a large vanilla milkshake from McDonald's and two hamburgers in my HappyMeal. And Cold Stone was open! There's one down the street from my house and my dad still hasn't gotten me the ice cream I was promised four months ago! Lol. I really don't care anymore but it'd be nice if he was just like "Hey I owe you a trip to Cold Stone, let's go," one day when he came home from work, but whatever.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, I'm fine. I was on crutches for like half a week before I could put weight on my legs, and then walked with a limp for a while and freaked out half of my schools band when they saw the bruises and scabs during summer rehearsals. It was funny because one girl owns a house at the Indian Mound Golf Course and was telling our friend the drum major about this girl who fell out of the rope swing and I was all, "Hey that's me!" and she went "No way… Why the hell would you do something THAT STUPID for some butt head?"

My large family (Rob is based off of my uncle who's a fireman) still makes fun of me for the rope swing and losing my bathing suit bottoms. The bottoms thing was so Uncle 'Rob's' fault though, he whipped me on the tube and I went flying!

So REVIEWS would be welcomed just as much as some giant M&M cookies from the bakery I work at would be…. Now I want a giant M&M cookie… *sigh*…


	15. How You Boys Like Mexico?

You guys are incredibly lucky that I found the energy to post this chapter. I'm like literally dead on my feet. I've been working all weekend, and that means cash for me, but my body isn't too happy about that…

I got the title from a line in the beginning of the movie _Super Troopers_, because that part is freaking HILARIOUS! But nothing from Super Troopers will appear in this fic ever. Maybe just Tony watching the beginning with Kate. On a side note, a couple of years ago my dad got to meet the Commandant of the Vermont State Police for a work related conference and was _this_ close to asking him if he'd ever seen the movie, and then the Commandant had to leave for something and then he never got to ask him.

You recognize them and they're not mine. I own Kate, Maria Jose, Fernando and Jay-Jay. Everybody else belongs to CBS.

Kate if fifteen in this chapter which is post Hiatus, I messed up the math and I'm too lazy to go back and fix it, so bear with me!

Read and Review please! (For those of you who don't speak Spanish. There will be translations at the end of the chapter)

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Fifteen year old Kate Gibbs snuggled down deeper into her quilt and sleeping bag as her bed rocked back and forth in an effort to try to get back to sleep as she tried to drown out the slightly drunken ramblings of her godfather from the next room. Apparently some idiot had tried to pick Mike's pocket at the Cantina the night before, big mistake on that guy's part. Jethro had stepped in as quickly as possible to keep Mike from beating the younger man into a bloody pulp and hauled Mike's drunken ass home faster than you can say "Semper Fi."

Kate leaned to her left and saw that her little alarm clock was indicating it was eight AM. She'd stayed up until three just watching the stars and meteors. Kate finally understood why her Uncle Mike loved it in Baja; there was no light or noise pollution, nobody cussing and swearing at other drivers outside of her window, and best of all was that there were no nosey neighbors trying to figure out why Mike had two visitors from El Norte. Kate loved the little house on the beach because for the most part she could sleep on the deck if she wanted to. She had, in fact for almost three straight weeks until rumors of drug runners came down the coast and Mike actually started locking his doors at night. Since then Kate had found herself sleeping in a hammock in shoe box sized 'room'. Kate was convinced it was a closet with a window.

Kate didn't mind it too much anymore, she kept the window cracked and the combination of her hammock's rocking and the sounds of the waves crashing on shore just soothed her to sleep within minutes of getting into bed. It was paradise, well until the one day a month Mike got drunk and woke up with a nasty hangover. Jethro had made him cut back on his binge drinking now that Kate was staying with them for the summer.

"Buenas días, Señores!" Kate rubbed her eyes as she heard Maria Jose enter the house with that week's groceries and supplies. Kate liked Maria Jose because she didn't put up with Mike's crap and grouchy attitude. If Mike gave her crap, MJ gave it right back.

"Hola, Maria Jose." Jethro said.

"Donde esta mi chica blanca favorita?" María asked.

"En mi cuarto!" Kate called out as she skillfully climbed out of the hammock. Kate had quickly picked up on Spanish, and could carry on a full conversation with the locals.

Maria opened the door wider and Kate hugged the robust woman. "How are you?" Maria asked in English.

"I'm good." Kate replied. "How is su hijo?"

Maria Jose beamed when Kate mentioned her three year old son, Fernando. "He's very well, thank you for asking! Yesterday we talked for almost hour with 'big boy words'." Maria said excitedly. "He is growing big, no?"

"He is." Kate said as she thought of her two year old brother, Jay-Jay, back in Washington, D.C. "That's pretty cool he's using full sentences."

"Yo sé, chica." María said. "I need to go home to check on Fernando. Would you like me to bring magazines from El Norte?"

Kate nodded. "_People_ y_ Star_ por favor."

"I see what I can do." Maria said as she headed for the front door. "Adios!"

A chorus of bilingual partings followed the woman as she left. Kate began to paw through the box Maria had set on the counter in the living room/kitchen/dining room/anything room that made up most of the house.

"Ooh!" Kate exclaimed happily as she came across a package addressed to her. "Mail from Abby!"

Mike sent a half hearted glare at his goddaughter as he nursed his coffee, opened the Mexican equivalent of Tylenol, and watched as she enthusiastically tore open the brown USPS box.

"What's in this care package?" Jethro asked his daughter as he saw the size of the box Abby had sent.

"Uh…" Kate said as she ripped the envelope off of the front and led the list of stuff Abbs had sent. "Oreos, a couple of issues of _Seventeen_ from Becky, some Entertainment Weeklies from Tony, my summer reading book I hid under the boat from Mom, sunscreen, she says it's SPF 50, some US dollars to exchange for pesos, some more US dollars to not exchange and flaunt in front of the those punks in town who think they're better than me, and 'a furry friendly surprise'." Kate said as she read the list out loud.

"Wonder what the surprise is."Mike said with a smirk. "I'd say that Abby misses the both of you."

"Of course she does, Uncle Mike!" Kate chirped loudly as she purposely increased the volume of her voice to annoy her godfather. "Abby loves us."

Jethro just smirked as he sipped his coffee and watched his daughter and former boss interact. It was almost like the Saturdays that Mike used to come over and spend time with Kate. Almost, the only different thing now was that Mike was hung-over, and Kate wasn't a little baby anymore. Underneath the gruff exterior Mike showed to the world was a soft old man who loved to spoil the teenage girl in front of him rotten. "Open it." Jethro said "Knowing Abby she probably sent you a baby bat or a kitten."

Kate frantically tore the lid off of the box and sighed when she saw the gray backside in the box. "Oh thank, God." Kate said. "It's just Bert."

"Bert?" Mike asked confused.

"Bert?" Jethro echoed dumfounded. "Abby actually let Bert out of the _country?_ She freaks whenever Tony tries to bring him to Jay-Jay in Jen's office."

"Wait, this isn't Bert!" Kate exclaimed as she extracted the stuffed hippo from the box. The hippo Kate was holding had a pink bow wrapped around one ear. Kate set the hippo down on the counter next to the box and it was facing Jethro and Mike. It had the same goofy smile that Bert had. "According to the note Abby attached to our friend here, this is Bertha, Bert's girlfriend and my newest companion." Kate handed the letter to Jethro to finish reading as she inspected the studded collar that adorned Bertha's neck. Engraved on a silver plate near the snap was the name _Bertha_ in a delicate script with a skull and cross bone next to it. She experimentally poked the hippo's backside causing it to loudly emit the '_Pfft'_ farting noise that Bert was famous around NCIS for.

Mike's chair toppled over backwards and the older man lay on the floor. "What in the hell was that?" he moaned.

"Bertha!" Kate said gleefully as she scooped up the hippo and practically bounced back to her room as she mentally began her thank you note to Abby. "Oh, and Uncle Mike." Kate said as she paused in the doorway.

"Yeah?" The retired Marine said gruffly as he righted his chair.

"_That's_ why you're not supposed to lean your chair backwards like that." Kate said as Jethro got up and handed her Bertha's box and she closed the door.

Jethro's guffaw made Mike whirl around and growl, "Can it, Probie!"

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Almost two months later Kate found herself sitting in an empty room that looked suspiciously like an interrogation room at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. Kate sat with her arms crossed across her chest slumped in her seat with her legs up on the table and her flip flops were on the floor by her chair. Kate wished that security hadn't grabbed her bag as she went through Customs, but they had, and Kate found herself isolated at the airport.

"Finally!" Kate said as the door opened and two men entered the room and did a double take at the occupant. "Look I don't know why you're holding me here. I mean, I've been searched like eight times between Mexico City and Washington DC. And guess what? No knives, guns, explosives, or drugs! So can I go now?"

"Caitlin Gibbs?" The shorter and more robust of the two men asked incredulously.

"That's me." Kate replied as she put her feet down and sat up. "Why am I being held here against my will without a child advocate, my mother or lawyer?" she asked sweetly. "I haven't done anything wrong, unless this is Uncle Toby's way of saying 'Welcome Home Kate!'. Because this isn't fun if he asked you to detain me."

The taller man with black hair looked from the file to Kate and back. "Are you aware that there's a folder on your movements from the past two years filed at Homeland Security?"

"Yeah." Kate said. "I'm the daughter of the director of a Federal Agency. It's kinda necessary to keep me safe if you geniuses know where I am at all times. You are from Homeland Security and this isn't some terrorist plan to make NCIS pay like a bazillion dollars for my ransom, right?" Kate asked as her overactive imagination kicked in.

"We are from Homeland Security." Flunky One, Kate decided to call him 'Tubby', said as he watched the girl.

"Coolio." Kate said. "Then you can call Tom Morrow or Tobias Fornell and ask them to vouch for me and I can go. Easy as pie." Kate got up from her chair and headed for the door. "Can I have my backpack back so I can go home?"

"Not so fast, Miss." Flunky Two, now dubbed 'Skinny', Kate couldn't think of another good name for him, said as he pointed back to her recently vacated chair. "Sit back down."

"What's going on?" Kate asked nervously as she did what was instructed. "Is my Mom okay? Did somebody try to kill her? Oh my God! Dad's still in Baja! He won't know for like two weeks if something happened to Mom!"

"Your mother is fine, Miss Gibbs…"Flunky One said as the door to the room burst open and Tobias Fornell stood in the doorway looking more pissed off than Kate had ever seen him.

"What the _HELL_ is going on in here?" Tobias demanded as Kate gleefully squealed:

"Hiya, Uncle Toby!"

The two flunkies looked from Kate to Fornell and back. "Uncle Toby?" they echoed in unison.

"I asked you a question, Sullivan!" Fornell barked at Flunky Two.

Sullivan cleared his throat nervously. "Well, uh…Sir… We had orders to detain this passenger when Customs suspected she was smuggling explosives from Mexico to the United States."

"WHAT?" Kate exploded. "In what? I mean I'm lucky if my dad let's me pick up a pocket knife, but explosives? That's a good one, guys. Can I go now?"

"In a minute." Fornell said as he wheeled on Tubby. "Who gave these orders, and on what grounds?"

"The Customs officer smelled gunpowder and there was a metal used in explosives making that set off the x-ray alarms." Tubby explained as he tried to read the file without dropping everything.

"Kate," Tobias said as he turned to her. "Can you explain that?"

"Ummm…."Kate said. "Abby sent me a stuffed hippo, her name's Bertha, and Bertha has a studded collar, and I haven't washed her yet, so she still smells like Abby's gunpowder perfume, and I don't know what kind of metal is in the studded collar. Mom's probably worried about me, and I wanna go home."

Fornell sighed. "Where's her stuff?"

"Being searched, Sir." Tubby replied nervously. "The search dogs are double checking to make sure we didn't miss anything like drugs…"

"WHAT!!!!" Kate said. "Me smuggle drugs? Obviously you didn't read my jacket through and through boys. I live with two Federal Agents, have a Federal Agent from NCIS that tails me around DC, my pseudo family are all employees of Federal Agencies, and I go to a Catholic School. Drugs do not go well with that equation, fellas. I'll be getting my bag and the hell out of here, now."

"Language." Fornell said as he opened the door to let Kate out.

"Sorry, Uncle Toby." Kate said as she exited the interrogation room.

"You two." Fornell said as he looked at Sullivan and Tubby. "Stay here until I come back to speak to you. That's an order."

The two men glanced at each other before swallowing nervously as Kate stuck her tongue out and the door closed with an ominous snap. "So, was this your idea of fun, or was this for real?"

"For real." Fornell said with a sigh. Kate was practically running to keep up with Tobias's long strides.

"Can you slow down?" Kate asked.

"Sorry." Fornell said as he slowed the pace. "I'm just a little…"

"Ticked off." Kate finished for him. "I get that. How did you find out?"

"Morrow called Jenny and Jenny called me." Fornell said. "Morrow found out as soon as the name 'Gibbs' came through for files requested, he called Jenny to let her know you wouldn't be coming out with the rest of your flight, and you were being detained by Homeland Security. Jenny called me, fuming mind you, because she knew I would be here at Dulles today, and I came in and pulled you out of there before Thing One and Thing Two seriously screw up FBI NCIS relations."

Kate nodded. "Typical FBI flunkies."

"You're spending too much time with NCIS Agents." Fornell groaned as he led Kate through a maze of corridors and to a waiting room where Jenny, Jay-Jay, and their security detail awaited.

"Hey, that's what I get for having two parents, two, no three pseudo brothers, and three pseudo sisters employed by NCIS." Kate replied innocently as Tobias opened a door marked 'EVIDENCE' and motioned her inside.

"Three pseudo sisters?" Tobias asked. "I get Abby, and Ziva, but who's the third?"

"Kate Todd." Kate replied sadly. "I miss her, Uncle Toby."

"I know you do, Squirt." Fornell replied as he knocked on the window to Evidence Lock Up. "I need the bag that Sullivan and Duhamel brought in for the Gibbs investigation."

The clerk nodded and disappeared. She reappeared a moment later and handed the evidence box to Tobias. The FBI Agent signed for it, opened it up and handed the bag to Kate. "Anything missing?" he asked her.

"Where's Bertha?" Kate demanded when she couldn't find the hippo in her giant backpack.

"Where's her hippo?" Fornell asked the clerk.

"Security still has it." The clerk said. "It's at the front desk." She added as she checked the computer.

"Thanks." Fornell said as they left.

Kate and Fornell approached the Security desk after what seemed like forever to Kate, and Kate smiled politely at the man, Tibbs, at the desk. Kate had to stop herself from laughing as she thought of the Thom E. Gemcity book her dad had bought her when she had flown down to Mexico.

"We're here to pick up Bertha." Fornell said as he flashed his FBI and Homeland Security badges at Tibbs.

The security guard nodded. "Bertha have a last name?"

"Bertha's a hippo." Kate said as she pulled her sun bleached hair out of her face and into a ponytail. "Hippo's don't have last names. Duh."

"A hippo." Tibbs said uncertainly.

"Yeah." Kate said. "She's about three feet tall, stuffed, studded collar, pink bow on her left ear."

"Oh! That hippo." Tibbs said as he reached under the counter and handed Kate her stuffed animal back. "Here you go kiddo."

"Don't call me kiddo." Kate said as she scooped up Bertha and gave her a squeeze. Bertha happily farted in response.

"What was that?" Tibbs asked as he looked around to see what had caused the noise. Kate squeezed Bertha again and giggled as the poor Security guard looked around in confusion yet again. Kate stood off to the side as Tibbs struck up a conversation with Fornell. After a few minutes Kate squeezed Bertha for a third time.

"Kate!" Fornell said to her. "Knock it off."

"Sorry, Uncle Toby." Kate said. "I just missed Bertha."

Fornell shook his head.

"That was the hippo?" Tibbs asked.

"Yeah." Kate said. "She farts. Big whop."

"Kate!" Kate turned and saw her St. Bernard like Body Guard, Alex an NCIS Special Agent, heading their way.

"Hey, Alex!" Kate called out as she waved to him. "You ready to blow this popsicle stand?" she asked once Alex was next to her.

The NCIS agent laughed and saw the hippo Kate was clinging too. "Did Abby send you Bert?"

"Nope." Kate replied as she popped the 'p'. "This is Bertha. She's Bert's girlfriend, but I bet by the end of the year there will be mini farting hippos looking for a home."

Alex and Fornell laughed. "I'll take one for Emily." Fornell told his pseudo niece. "You two good for now?"

Kate nodded. "I think so."

"Alright." Fornell said. "I need to get back to Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber. I'll see you late, Kate."

"Bye, Uncle Toby." Kate said as she hugged him. "I owe you one."

"I'll collect by asking you to babysit Emily this Friday." Fornell said as he patted the girl on her head. "Can you do it?"

"Sure." Kate said. "Just give Mom a call and let her know where and when."

Tobias nodded and said, "I'll see you later then."

Kate waved one more time before she let Alex lead her away from the Security Desk.

"So, what I miss this summer Al?" Kate asked as Alex took her backpack from her.

"Nothing much. You have any other bags?" Alex asked.

Kate shook her head 'no'. "I was in Mexico, Alex. I lived in my bathing suit and shorts all summer. Hence the million freckles, slight tan, and very light hair color. Plus I left my other stuff that wouldn't fit with Dad." Kate added. "He's going to mail it up to me in a few days."

Alex nodded. "So you want to hear about Tony being the boss?"

"YES!" Kate exclaimed. "I'm a little upset that I left before I got see him in action, but I had like a ton of fun with Dad and Uncle Mike this summer."

Kate saw Jenny holding on to an anxious Jay-Jay before Jay-Jay saw her.

"Jay-Jay!" Kate called out and the toddler's head whipped around and his blue eyes darted across the crowed searching for his big sister.

"KATE-KATE!" Jay-Jay cried when his eyes settled on his big sister. He squirmed and Jenny let the boy down. Once his feet hit the ground, Jay-Jay took off running.

Kate felt the little body collide with her legs and she scooped the boy up and hugged him with her free arm. "Did you miss me, Munchkin?"

Jay-Jay nodded yes as his gaze settled on the Hippo in Kate's other hand. "Who dat?" he asked her as he pointed at Bertha.

"This is Bertha." Kate told him as she carried him out of the airport and into the waiting SUV. "She's Bert's girlfriend. They're going to get married and have baby hippos."

"Berfa, Berfa, Berfa!" Jay-jay chanted happily. "Is she for me?"

"Nope." Kate said. "Bertha's mine, Buddy."

Jay-Jay's face fell. "Oh…"

Kate smiled softly at her brother as she buckled the little boy into his car seat. "Daddy's bringing back a lot of presents for you, though."

"DADDY!" Jay-Jay squealed loudly causing everyone except for Alex to wince at the volume of the toddler's voice. Alex was driving today, and was wearing ear plugs, not the smartest idea ever, but it kept his mind on driving and looking back to see if someone was either tickling or killing the toddler. "When's he commin' home Mama?"

"In two weeks." Jenny said happily. "The team doesn't know yet. They think Jethro's retired for good and is being a…" Jenny paused and then spelled out, "B-A-S-T-A-R-D, by not coming home with you today."

Kate nodded and she handed Jay-Jay Bertha to play with. "So what did you do while me and Daddy were on vacation, Munchkin?"

"I played with Tony." Jay-Jay said as he squeezed Bertha to see if she farted. He happily shrieked when he discovered the hippo did fart. "Tony gets to play Daddy at work cuz Daddy is stayin' with Unca Mikey in Mexico."

"What else?" Kate asked as Alex steered the SUV towards St. Barbara's in DC. Abby, with the help of the Sisters, was throwing a 'Welcome Home Kate!' bash in her honor that day, and they were already two hours late thanks to Kate's little detour courtesy of Homeland Security's finest idiot.

"Me and Tony painted a tree house!" Jay-Jay said happily. "He said that the house used to yours and Daddy's afore he met Mama and they had me."

Kate nodded. "What color did you paint my old tree house?"

Jay-Jay's blue eyes grew ridiculously large. "It's _your_ tree house!"

"Mmhhmmm." Kate said in confirmation. "What color is it?"

"Green!" Jay-Jay said. "It's mine and Tony's favoritest color ever!"

"It is? I thought your favoritest color ever was red like a fire engine!" Kate said in mock horror. "Oh what ever will I do with the fire engine poncho I bought you?"

Jay-Jay didn't know what a poncho was, but the fact that his big sister had bought him a present that was fire engine red, his favoritest color before she and Daddy went to Unca Mikey's for the summer. Tony had bought green paint at the store and Jay-Jay fell in love with green because it was Tony's favorite color, and Jay-Jay seemed to follow the NCIS Special Agent around like a lost little puppy ever since Jethro had abruptly left. Jay-Jay sighed. "I guess red and green are my favoritest colors ever."

"That's good." Kate said with a smile as she ruffled her little brother's fine red hair. "Those are Christmas colors."

"Weally?" Jay-Jay asked as he looked up at his sister with wide eyes.

"Mmhhmmm." Kate said as she signed a question to her mom on Jay-Jay's right. The toddler's car seat was in the middle of the second row, with his sister on the left and mother on the right. In the driver's seat and the passenger's seat were armed NCIS Agents, and one in the third row who watched the cars around them carefully.

Kate was signing 'Does Abby know that we're going to be late?'

Jenny nodded in confirmation before she responded in rapid fire French. "_Yes, I called her from the airport and told her that you had a slight problem getting Bertha's collar through Customs._"

Kate rolled her eyes as Jay-Jay babbled on about an adventure he and Bert had taken during the summer in the ballistics lab to Alex's partner, Demitri.

Kate signed back, 'What did she have to say about that?'

"_She's incredibly sorry, and will make it up to you in some spectacular way_." Jenny replied in French yet again. Signing and speaking in a foreign language around Jay-Jay was the easiest and most convenient way to hold an important conversation. Jethro and Jenny still spoke in Russian around Kate, only because Kate couldn't speak the language and had no desire to learn it, yet.

Out loud Kate said, "She's probably gone out and bought me the newest iPod model and some ridiculous amount iTunes card and is going to give them to me later this week or something."

"That's over kill," Jenny said in English.

"I know." Kate said. "But, it's Abby. So I wouldn't put it past her."

Jenny nodded. "You're right, and we're here."

"Tony, Tony, Tony!" Jay-Jay said when he saw Tony standing outside of the Church Hall. "And Timmy!" Jay-Jay said when McGee stepped out to speak to Tony.

"I missed these guys." Kate told Jenny as she unbuckled her little brother. "Who knew that three months away from this whack job family would make me miss them as much as I did?"

"How much did you miss us?" Jenny asked as she watched Kate expertly hoist Jay-Jay up and hole the boy at her waist. Kate wasn't giving her brother to anyone else to hold after being separated from him for three months.

"I'm never putting Jay-Jay down," the little boy cheered upon hearing this. "I'm never going to complain about Tony being a butt head ever again. I'm not going to interrupt Tim when he's rambling in techno babble, I'm going to sit in Autopsy and listen to every word of one of Ducky's incredibly long winded stories even if he's doing an autopsy. I'll go see Abby and voluntarily be a test dummy without complaining. And I'll never ever complain about going to Mass at midnight with Abby when it's offered." Kate said to her mother as they walked up the long walk way to the hall. "I'm gonna stop complaining about Alex cramping my style, and I promise to try and stop purposely losing him in the mall. I'm not gonna sneak over to Becky's when I'm supposed to be helping Dad with the boat, I'll clean my room without you asking me to, and I promise not to complain about Holy Days of Obligation anymore and I won't complain about CCD and Mrs. Mavis' large mole that distracts me during Theology, and…"

"Alright." Jenny said as she laughed. "I get it. You missed home."

"A ton." Kate said as she moved Jay-Jay to her other hip and waved to Tony and McGee. "I don't ever wanna go on a vacation without you guys ever again."

Jenny laughed and kissed Kate's temple. "Guess what?"

"What, Mom?"

"I missed you just as much." Jenny replied and enveloped her daughter in a hug. "Welcome Home, Katie-Kins."

"I missed you so much, Mom!" Kate said as she hugged Jenny back with one arm. The touching moment was ruined as soon as Jay-Jay squeezed Bertha and she farted.

"Jay-Jay!" Jenny and Kate groaned in unison.

"Sowy." The toddler said with a smile.

The two Gibbs women separated, and looked at the littlest Gibbs. "Tickle war?" Jenny asked Kate as she surveyed the guilty smirk on her son's face.

"Tickle War." Kate confirmed.

Jay-Jay's eyes grew wide again in wide horror. He wasn't a big fan of Tickle Wars; especially since he was generally the victim…

"Tony! Timmy!" Jay-Jay squealed. "Save me! It's a Tickle War!"

Kate put the boy down to give him a chance to escape, and waited a couple of seconds before she scooped up the dropped hippo and chased after her brother. It was good to be home.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"Buenas días, Señores!" – Good day Sirs

Hola – Hello

Donde esta mi chica blanca favorita? – Where is my favorite white girl?

En mi cuarto – In my room

Hijo – son

Yo sé, chica – I know, girl

El Norte – The North (The United States)

Y – and

Por favor – please

I don't think I missed any of the Spanish words, but if I did, PM me or leave a review and I'll let you know what it means if you're too lazy to look it up online. I'm too lazy to translate the French stuff, only because I took about twelve years of Spanish, (they started us on French and Spanish in Kindergarten in my city, and the Spanish stuck with me…) and I still know a ton of it fluently.

So leave a review and tell me what you thought!

Oh, and a big thank you to NCIS Lover for that lovely comment you left me! I would have sent you a PM, but you weren't logged in. Oh well, thank you again!

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~


	16. Legend Part One

So I originally had this great Christmas chapter idea to post before Christmas, but that did happen. I couldn't get into it for some reason. So enjoy this chapter instead. And a belated Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas, Happy Friday, Happy Boxing Day, and Happy Kwanza to my readers. (If I missed your holiday I'm sorry!)

I don't own any characters that come from NCIS and its spinoff NCIS Los Angeles. I'm making a profit… JK! No profit in this for me! I just own Kate, so don't sue me!

Kate's 18 in this chapter and I don't know exactly how she managed to pull this trip off, but she did it!

Read and Review :)!

PS I listening to the official NCIS Soundtracks as I type this chapter and I love the music from Abby's Lab. My music tastes are slowly being changed by this show! (I really love the remix of the theme song!)

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**May 2, 2009**

"So you're going to Los Angeles?" Eighteen year old Kate Gibbs asked her father excitedly.

"Yup." Jethro said as he packed some of his shirts in his overnight bag.

"Is Callen going to be there?" Kate prodded from the doorway.

"Ahuh." Jethro replied as he folded up a pair of chinos.

"Anything other than monosyllabic responses today, Dad?"

"Nope."

"McGee going with you?" Kate asked sighing.

"Yes."

"Can I come too?" Kate asked hopefully.

"Yup." Jethro said as he zipped up his bag. "Go pack."

"Thank you!" Kate squealed as she ran down the hallway to her room.

"Thank your mother!" Jethro called out after his easily excitable daughter.

"I will!" Kate yelled back.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**May 3, 2009**

Seven hours later, Kate, Gibbs, and McGee got out of the rental car outside of the OSP office.

"Boss, are you sure that this is the right place?" McGee asked as they took in their surroundings. They had parked in an alleyway with buildings with crumbling facades, dumpsters were everywhere and Kate stifled a scream when a rat dashed out over her foot.

Jethro just pointed to the revolving security camera as Kate jumped onto McGee's back.

"Hey!" McGee protested.

"There are rats." Kate said. "I hate rats and they scare the beejesus out of me."

Kate slid off of McGee when the service elevator made it to them and she practically ran to it to avoid the rodents that made the alley their home. Kate's blond hair was secured in twin French braids and they bounced as she ran reminding Jethro of when Kate was a little girl.

A brunette woman in jeans and a nice vest slid the elevator grate opened and said, "Hi, welcome to SP. I'm Kensi."

"Special Agent Gibbs," Jethro said gruffly.

"Agent McGee." Tim said and he shook Kensi's hand.

"Kate Gibson." Kate said with a smile. Abby was test SP's ability to crack deep cover aliases and Kate was the guinea pig. Her cover as NCIS Probie Agent Kate Gibson should be able to stand up under even some levels of CIA scrutiny.

Kensi smiled as she slammed the grate closed. "You sail, Agent McGee?" She asked seeing the issue of _Boat Builder's Digest_ in McGee's hands.

"Uh, no." McGee admitted.

"Build boats?" Kensi prodded.

"Nope." McGee said. "It's a conversation starter."

"It works." Kensi said awkwardly. "So you guys get any sleep on the flight?"

"Not a wink," Tim admitted. Kate stood next to him and stifled a yawn.

"Slept the whole way." Jethro said with a smirk.

"Cat naps between turbulence." Kate grumbled as Kensi opened the door at their floor.

"Ever been here before?" the SP Agent asked as she led them down a hallway.

Jethro said "yeah" as McGee and Kate both said "no."

Kensi chuckled to herself. These three would be fun to mess with later. "Buckle up." She said as she opened a titanium door.

"NSA is worried about the Horn of Africa, Somalia in particular." Director Vance's face was on the large MTAC screen while he conversed with a woman from SP.

"Increased chatter?" the older blond woman asked.

"Quite the opposite." Vance said. "All they're hearing is crickets."

"Well, maybe the bad guys have all given up and gone home." The woman mused as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Or, maybe they're on their way to the US." Kate said loudly as they descended the stairs into the inner workings of the SP office.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Agent Gibson." Vance said.

Kate could see the grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

"My Mama says I do that all the time, Sir." Kate said as several heads turned to watch the new arrivals, including the blond.

"Gibbs." Vance said as the NCIS Special Agent walked into his view.

"Hello, Director Vance." Jethro said.

"I know how excited you and Macy are to be working together." Vance said. The Director wasn't wasting anytime by beating around the bush.

There was an awkward moment of silence as Kensi, McGee, Jethro, Macy and a bearded man looked anywhere but at each other. Kate was confused for a second until she realized something. '_Oh!'_ she thought, '_Agent Macy must be the MP that Uncle Mike told me about that investigated Dad eighteen years ago. This is waaaayy Hinky.'_

"I told SecNav I'd have my best people on this one." Vance said continuing, most likely unaware of the new tension in the room. "There are a lot of nervous people at the Pentagon. Don't make me have to come out there." He threatened as he signaled to a tech, most likely Kate's friend Charlie, to cut the feed.

Macy turned to Jethro with her hands on her hips, effectively starting a six way staring contest. "He tell you I got the lead?" Macy demanded.

"Yeah, he told me." Jethro said in a monotone voice as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You still drink coffee?" Macy asked as she began to lead Jethro out of SP's MTAC.

Jethro just followed her silently.

"Can you say 'awkward'?" Kate asked Kensi and McGee.

The female SP Agent just laughed. She had a feeling that she and Kate would get along great.

"That's Nate, right?" Kate asked as the bearded guy from earlier left MTAC after a brief phone conversation.

Kensi nodded. "Did Gibbs brief you on the flight?"

"Nope." Kate answered as she pulled out her laptop and connected to SP's Wi-Fi. "He filled me in at the airport while McGoo was debating between _Boat Builder's Digest_ and _Sniper Monthly_.

"He briefed you?" McGee asked. "No fair."

"Which one of us is the totally green Probie with almost zip field experience?" Kate asked sweetly.

"You." McGee replied.

"Hence the itty bitty briefing." Kate said as Jethro came back and grabbed McGee before leaving MTAC again.

Fifteen minutes later McGee was back looking a little dejected.

"Hey, Timmy." Kate said as she minimized the HULU window she'd just opened. "I thought you were going out with the Bossman."

"He's visiting a 'friend'." McGee told her. "What are you watching?"

"Army CID." Kate replied. "It's like what you guys do at NCIS without real dead bodies and the ick factor. I'm officially addicted."

"Or Colonel Mann." McGee added as he took the empty console next to Kate.

"That too." Kate said happily. "Who needs that home wrecking Army bitch anyways?"

Tim just laughed as four people gathered around a bald African American man named Sam Hanna. He was Callen's SP partner and because they spent so many hours together everyone assumed the former Navy SEAL always knew where Callen was. Sam was pulling u an image from Google Earth on the Smart Board like screen.

"The meeting's at a diner in Venice Beach." Sam was saying to the gathered Agents. "We have a traffic camera at the intersection, store security across the street and two preplaced minis inside of the diner."

"We up?" Macy asked Sam as she approached him and adjusted her ear piece.

"Coming on stream." Sam replied.

Macy nodded. "Kensi?" she asked.

"Fifteen minutes out." Sam said. "Kickoff's in thirty."

"Callen?" Macy asked hopefully.

Sam just scoffed and raised an eyebrow. Macy rolled her eyes and turned to Nate. The six foot six shrink shook his head 'no', indicating that he hadn't seen Callen at all that day.

"Who's Callen?" McGee asked playing dumb. Nate just chuckled.

Five minutes later Kate had relocated to a dark corner where she could see everybody, but only Sam and McGee knew where she was hiding. Kate's attention was split between Lt. Col. Mark Weatherly and his Army CID team and the SP op being run right in front of her.

Kate looked up when she heard Macy firmly say, "Callen, we're done."

"Oh, great." Kate whispered. "Just what I need, a dead Callen. Way to go G, the Genius."

Kate calmed herself when she saw Sam smirk at something Callen had said and winked at the girl. Other than Callen and the presently absent Hetty, Sam was one of the few people at the LA SP office who knew who Kate really was.

"Got the play back on Talia's call!" Eric called from his computer.

Macy and the group migrated to Eric's work station. Since Kate lacked an ear piece she couldn't listen in to the conversation.

"The quality sucks, Mace." Eric told his SAC.

"Replay and isolate the last word." Macy ordered.

Eric did as ordered.

"There's our connection." Sam said. "Same guy Chandler was meeting."

'Who?' Kate signed to McGee over her laptop screen.

McGee discreetly took out his iPhone and texted 'Liam' to Kate.

"The same guy." Macy repeated sounding a little aggravated.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate sat on the floor outside of Macy's office playing Tetris on her NCIS issued cell phone. She was in a _tinsy_ bit of trouble with Macy. The Special Agent in Charge had caught Kate watching Army CID on her laptop instead of working. If Macy even remembered Kate was outside of her office, Kate's defense would be simple, 'The Bossman forgot to give me an assignment so I'm just waiting for one'.

"Talia is the plan." Macy said. Kate's ears perked up; maybe she'd get lucky and actually hear what was going on for once. "Sam, you will give Agents Gibbs and McGee a full briefing on the operation. Include Reko."

"Sure thing." Sam replied. He left the office followed by McGee and Jethro.

Kate got up to follow, but Jethro shook his head 'no' and Kate sank back down to the floor. She was staring at the tips of her Converse when her phone vibrated telling her she had a text message. Kate saw it was from McGee and opened it.

It read: 'Gibbs wants u 2 listen 2 mace and Callen. Report back 2 him after.'

Kate rolled her eyes before shooting a 'kk' back to McGee.

"Eighteen years," Callen was saying to Macy. "Would have made you a lieutenant in the Marine Corp Military Police. Gibbs was still a Gunny…"

"Don't go there." Macy snapped.

"Did you work a case together?" Callen asked playing dumb. He knew that Macy had investigated Jethro all those years ago, but Macy didn't know that Callen knew.

"Why do you want to know?" Macy asked with a sigh.

"Just looking out for my family." Callen said. Kate could just _see_ the smirk on his face as he said that.

"G, you don't have any family." Macy pointed out and Kate winced. That was a low blow.

"That's cold, Mace." Callen said.

"But true." The blond replied.

"Gibbs is family." Callen told Macy. "You know that."

Macy didn't reply. As far as Macy knew, Gibbs was a fellow Marine Callen had served with and the younger man considered family. Macy didn't know that Callen had been almost adopted by the Gibbs family, which included the former Director of NCIS.

"Got any photographs in uniform?" Callen pressed on a lighter note.

"Yes." Macy answered. "And no, you can't see them."

"Okay," Callen said, he sounded like he had given up. "I'll just ask Gibbs what happened."

"Yeah, let me know if you do." Macy called to Callen's retreating back. "I want to be there to see him sit you on your ass."

Callen shook his head and closed the office door behind him. "Anybody ever tell you that eavesdropping isn't very nice?" Callen asked Kate.

"I think this guy from LA told me once or twice." Kate said teasingly. "But I just ignored him when he did."

Callen laughed and helped Kate up. Once the girl was on her feet Callen leaned over with a devious smile on his face and ruffled her hair.

"CALLEN!" Kate shrieked in protest. "It took me twenty minutes to get my hair right this morning!"

"God forbid I mess up Princess Kate's precious hair." Callen said condescendingly.

Kate responded by elbowing him in the gut and ran off towards MTAC.

"I'm gonna get you Gibson!" Callen cried as he took off after his baby sister.

Callen nearly flattened Kensi when he came barreling around a corner.

"Whoa there, G." Kensi said. "Where's the fire?"

"Gibson just elbowed me in the gut." Callen said. "And she took off in this direction before I could retaliate."

"Really?" Kensi asked surprised. "Kate doesn't seem like the type to start a fight unprovoked. What did you do Callen?"

"Me?" Callen asked as he feigned shock. "I didn't do…"

"You messed up my hair!" Kate growled out from behind Callen, making the older man jump.

"How did you do…? Never mind. It's gotta be genetic." Callen said as he turned to face Kate.

"Damn straight." Kate said as she threw an arm over his shoulders.

"You know each other?" Kensi asked curiously.

"Yep." Kate said. "We were foster siblings for, what was it?"

"Six months." Callen supplied fondly as he wrapped an arm around Kate's waist in a brotherly way.

"Then I got adopted and moved to Virginia." Kate said as she flicked the side of Callen's head.

"Ow." Callen said.

"Baby!" Kate said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"So you lived with Callen?" Kensi asked Kate.

Kate just nodded as she wiggled out of Callen's arms as she saw a spark ignite in his eyes.

"I've got a ton of questions about a teenaged Callen!" Kensi said as she linked arms with Kate and dragged the younger woman back down the hall away from Callen.

Kate smirked evilly back over her shoulder at Callen and the NCIS Agent groaned. It was going to be a long day.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**May 4, 2009**

Kate tapped her fingers on the desk as she and Eric filtered through surveillance feed for Mattie Ray and Talia.

"Still waiting for the guest of honor." McGee commented.

"Bored?" Eric asked Kate.

"Out of my ever living mind!" she replied. "I'm an action-y field agent kinda girl and here I am playing She-McGee!"

"Hey! I heard that!" McGee told Kate.

"Good." Kate replied. "You were supposed to!" She juvenilely stuck her tongue out at McGee and almost fell out of her chair when her actions were reciprocated.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Eric asked Kate as she turned back around.

"Uh, maybe." Kate said vaguely. Kate knew Eric recognized her voice from the phone call she made three years ago demanding to speak to Callen and Eric had been a pain in the ass about it.

"Vehicle entering the alley." Sam said over the com unit. "They're on the move."

Kate was up and out of her seat in a flash and next to McGee. She was debating whether to grab his hand or not when the Agent slid his hand into hers and gave hers a reassuring squeeze. Kate smiled in gratitude.

"McGee, go tight on Liam." Gibbs ordered.

"Zoom in on camera one, please." McGee said. Kate's smile grew even wider. One of the things that Kate like about Timmy was that he was always a gentleman, even under pressure.

"Wearing jeans and a sports coat." Kate relayed.

"He's carrying," McGee added as the picture became clearer. "Looks like a long barrel."

"It's a hit!" Callen cried.

Kate latched onto McGee's arm when the gunshots started. The NCIS Agents weren't visible on screen anymore. Kensi appeared on screen and dashed towards where Macy had been standing, and Kate watched s the brunette hauled Talia back to her car.

McGee felt Kate's grip relax as the both watched Gibbs haul Mike Renko, alias Mattie Ray an NCIS Agent, up and speak to each other. Gibbs had lost his ear wig in the scuffle so the conversation was muted.

"Where's Callen?" Kate asked worriedly when she couldn't see her brother on screen.

"I'm fine Katie." Callen's voice reassured her over their link. "We've got a motel key to a no-tell motel on the Strip I got off of Liam's body."

"Creepy much?" Kate asked causing Callen to chuckle.

Five minutes later Macy, Callen and Gibbs stormed the motel and found an empty room with four suitcases full of enough explosives to bring down a building, four blank passports, and suitcases full of guns.

Kate yawned and brought up some pictures of Liam that Abby had forwarded from DC. "Liam Patrick Coyle, former IRA Arms dealer. He smuggled money and guns into Northern Ireland in the '90's. After the peace treaty he went freelance. He's sold weapons from Chechnya to the Horn of Africa."

"Supplying terrorists." Jethro said.

"How come we've never heard of this guy?" McGee asked Kate.

"He's been living in New York. Fake name, fake job, fake life." She replied as she snapped the folder closed.

"It's called a legend." Nate said as he joined the group. Sam and Kensi were Callen's back up at the hotel. "It's a work coined by the Stasi, the East German Secret Police used it during the Cold War. Now, their idea was to create a cover so deep it could withstand any scrutiny."

Kate squirmed a little when Nate looked at her. '_He knows!'_ she thought to herself.

"Passports, documents, work papers, and even family histories." Nate said. "And none of it true. All a…a legend."

"So, back up a second." Kate said as she rounded on Nate. "You're saying that my older brother's posing as Liam, _right now?_"

Nate nodded.

"If Callen dies," Kate said as she turned to her father. "I'm lodging a complaint with SecNav."

"Duly noted." Gibbs said.

"Callen's your brother?" Eric asked.

"Foster brother." Kate snapped at the geek. "But I love him like a blood relative."

Eric shrugged. "Good for you guys."

Kate bit her lip anxiously as they watched 'Liam' open the door the room and admit a tall bearded man in a tan suit. Kate fought back a gasp as she recognized the man Callen had just admitted to the room. Kate has seen the other man in a photo Ziva had shown her from her time in Israel. The man was Mossad. Callen was in over his head.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Cliff hanger! I'm evil!!!!!! Muhahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!! So REVIEW if you want to see what happens in part two :-). So Happy Belated Holidays to my readers! (Aka MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!)


	17. Legend Part Two

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters that appear on CBS's hit shows NCIS and NCIS Los Angeles. I own the peeps you don't recognize. So don't sue me. PS, I don't own HULU either. It's just really convenient and I think they won't mind the free advertising. I also don't own facebook or skype. Dang it!

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**May 4, 2009**

"He's Mossad!" Kate exclaimed as the man moved further into the room and exchanged pleasantries with Callen.

Every head in MTAC spun to Kate who stood in the middle of the room.

"Are you sure?" Macy asked Kate.

"Positive." Kate replied. "He was in a picture Ziva showed me from her time in Tel Aviv. All of the people in the pictures were Mossad Officers or paper pushers. The only non-Mossad person she had pictures of was her Aunt Nettie."

"He got a name?" Gibbs asked his daughter.

"Michael." Kate replied. "I don't know his last name though."

"It's a start." Gibbs said. "McGee, get Tony and Ziva in MTAC now!"

"On it, Boss!" McGee said as he disappeared to call Washington.

"You have everything I asked for?" Michael asked 'Liam'.

"Times four." Callen said coolly.

"Passports?" Michael inquired.

"Everything."

"And it's all here?" the Mossad Officer prodded.

"It's all here," Callen said as he reassured the client.

"First the face, next the name." Eric said as he and McGee started a search for Michael in the Immigration and Homeland Security databases.

Kate had been pulled from the case when she had claimed Callen as her brother. Macy didn't want Kate doing anything rash to protect Callen or seeking revenge if Callen was injured or killed on this op. It was fine with Kate, she was allowed to watch and listen in on the operation and watch as much Army CID as she wanted to on HULU.

"You know, I met a man in Damascus who said you were dead." Michael told Liam as he sat down on the bed.

Callen chuckled as he leaned against the wall as he watched the other man inspect his goods on the bed. "Let me know when he passes. I'll come to his funeral."

"Too late." Michael said as he pointed a hand gun at Callen. "Who are you?"

"Abort, abort! Target in the center of the room weapon drawn." Macy said into the com.

Kate gasped and attached herself to McGee as the gun was trained on Callen's chest. McGee knew from experience to let Kate 'koala' herself to the nearest NCIS Agent that made up her family and allow her the few moments of clingy-ness that would ensue when another family member is threatened. Tim just rubbed her back and let her know everything would work out alright in the end. McGee reached for Kate's ear piece doo-dad but she whacked his hand away. Kate wanted to hear everything incase this was the last thing she heard from Callen.

"Federal Agents! Don't move!" Kate recognized this third voice as Sam and heard two doors crash open.

"Put down your weapon!" Kensi ordered.

"Put it down!" Sam barked in an echo. It seemed that Michael was in a defiant mood that morning.

"Come on Mace! He wasn't going to shoot me!" Callen said exasperated with Macy. "Tell her you weren't going to shoot me!"

"I wasn't going to shoot him." Michael parroted.

Jethro chuckled a little as Nate observed the situation. "No tension in the upper body and the voice is all wrong. Probably wasn't going to shoot him."

"Be embarrassing if he had." Jethro mused as he watched his daughter's hold on McGee lesson.

"There's no room for 'probably', Nate." Macy snapped. "Do we have a full name?"

Kate lifted her head from McGee's shoulder and watched Macy and Eric from her relatively safe position; wrapped up in McGee's arms. Well, she was until Tim moved an arm around her to access the keyboard in front of him. He still kept one arm around her waist letting her know he was still there for her.

"Well we just started," McGee told Macy. "It's gonna take at least a…"

He was interrupted by the dinger dinging on the facial recognition search.

"We got a match here, Boss." McGee said sounding confused.

"Put it on the screen." Gibbs ordered.

"Millions of possibilities," McGee said to Kate and Eric. "And we get a hit in six seconds."

"Is that bad?" Kate asked. She too was used to hours long searches that could take up to a day and a half.

"Could be," Eric said. "Or we just got lucky."

"Let's go with lucky." Kate said.

"Michael Rivkin." Macy read from the screen.

"His name is Michael Rivkin," Sam relayed to Callen. Since Callen was the undercover agent this time he was com less.

"FBI?" Rivkin guessed.

No response.

"CIA?" he tried again.

"NCIS." Callen said to a now less smug looking Rivkin.

"Ahh, he's way too confident." Nate observed the body language of the Israeli. "Things are about to go pear shaped, Mace."

"Who are you?" Callen asked.

"Mossad." Rivkin said with gusto.

"You can prove that?" Callen asked.

"No," Rivkin said. "But I know someone who can. Her name is Ziva David." He said to that camera in the TV.

"McGee!" Jethro barked.

"Yeah, Boss?" McGee replied.

"Are DiNozzo and David in MTAC yet?" Gibbs growled out.

"Not yet." McGee said. "Rachael says that they're waiting for Ziva to come in."

"Whoa," Kate said. "Ziva's late for work? That's weird."

Eric turned to Kate. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, it's about six thirty in the morning here, making it nine thirty in DC." Kate said. "Ziva normally shows up around seven am and she and McGee race up to the Bull Penn to see who gets in first. I come in around seven thirty, Gibbs comes in around eight, and Tony's normally the last to show up around quarter past eight."

"So, if Ziva's coming in late," McGee said. "She's sick, overslept, or taking advantage of the Boss not being in the office and having a social life."

"And Tony's picking up the slack." Kate finished. "This is really weird for Tony."

McGee just chuckled. "It's about time he stopped dumping work on Ziva when nobody's looking."

"She likes it when he does that, Tim." Kate said. "Ever notice how they flirt even harder after he dumps some extra work on her?"

Tim stopped and thought for a moment. "Oh my God. I can't believe I never saw that before! Does Abby know?"

Kate shook her head evilly. "I've been putting together a video from the security feeds for Abby for Christmas. It'll blow her socks off."

The screen that didn't have Callen and Rivkin emblazoned on it flared to life displaying Ziva and Tony to the Los Angeles NCIS crew.

"Ziva." Gibbs said to the Israeli woman. Kate waved like an idiot in the background and began making funny faces at Tony to see if he would keep a straight face or not.

"Gibbs." Ziva said as she discreetly waved back to Kate.

"McGee, put it up." Jethro said. He knew exactly what his daughter was up to as he watched DiNozzo struggle to keep a straight face. Hell, he often encouraged Kate to make faces at his Agents during video conferences to make things a little _interesting_ when there were important people with him. Kate got twenty bucks for each time one of them smiled, and DiNozzo had just grinned for the second time.

It was easy money for the teenager.

"You recognize him?" Jethro asked as the video feed of Rivkin appeared on screen.

Ziva didn't react to the video feed; it was like she was expecting it show up.

"Ziva!" Gibbs barked.

"Yes, I know him." The Mossad liaison responded. "His name is Michael Rivkin."

"He says he's Mossad." Gibbs relayed. There was another smile from DiNozzo. Kate was getting too good at this game.

"Anything else you can tell us about him, Officer David?" Macy asked.

"No." Ziva said quickly, too quickly in fact. "I have not worked with him in some time."

"We _will_ talk more about this later." Gibbs growled. He knew Ziva was lying and he hated being lied to.

"Of course." Ziva replied and Gibbs ended the transmission.

"Talk to me!" Gibbs barked to his mini team.

"Rivkin's cover is an Israeli banker, Boss." McGee read from his computer.

"He flew in three days ago, Gibbs." Kate told her father.

"You know this, how?" Gibbs asked his daughter.

"Facebook." Kate replied without missing a beat. "Ziva mentioned that a male friend was flying in from Tel Aviv on business and she was hoping to spend some time with him if he had some time off."

"What the hell is he doing here then?" Macy asked.

"Same thing we are." Jethro said. "Finding a terrorist cell."

"Yay!" Kate said sarcastically. "Mossad~NCIS cooperation. Let's hope it works out as much as it did that last time you guys went to Tel Aviv."

"Kate." Gibbs barked.

"What?" Kate said as she spun around in her wheelie chair to face her father.

"Back to the hotel. Now." Gibbs ordered.

"What? Why?" Kate asked, upset.

"You've been up for forty eight hours with a cat nap or two." Gibbs said. "You're no good to me if you're sleeping on your feet."

"Fine." Kate huffed as she put her laptop back in her back pack and headed for the stairs. Jethro grabbed her arm as she stormed past him.

"Plus," He whispered into her ear. "You're mother would kill me if I let you get any more involved in this investigation."

Kate nodded, fully knowing her father had a point. "I'm going to G's place if you need me."

"Stay out of trouble." Jethro said warmly.

"Don't I always?" Kate asked sweetly.

Jethro just chuckled.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

A half hour later Kate carefully slid into Callen's Spartan apartment and locked the door behind her.

Kate took out her laptop and booted it up. While she waited to connect to Skype she rummaged around Callen's fridge and found some pudding. Kate came back and called Abby's lab, but got no response. Kate wasn't in the mood to Skype every computer that the team logged onto, so she signed out, shut down her computer and threw herself face down onto Callen's bed. Kate was only planning on a little nap and she kicked off her Converse sneakers and pulled the blankets up over her head to block out the sunlight that came in around the crappy shades. '_Just a little nap_', she thought to herself. '_And then I'll try calling Abbs again.'_

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Several hours later Kate woke up and rubbed her eyes. By the way the sunlight was shining into the apartment; Kate could tell she had slept the whole day away. A quick glance at the clock told Kate it was six in the afternoon. Oopsy.

"Wow." Kate said to herself as she pulled her shoes back on and straightened out the bed. "I didn't mean to sleep this long." Kate left Callen a note to buy food. He was now completely out, well except for some cottage cheese and a pack of energy bars.

Kate locked the door behind her and pulled the rental car keys out of her jeans pocket. Kate waved to Callen from across the street. Kate looked down to check her cell phone for messages but looked up when she heard an SUV blare its horn.

Kate let out an ear piercing shriek as someone from the panel van that had cut off Sam opened fire into Callen with a machine gun. Kate dropped her back pack and sprinted across the street.

"Don't do this to me, G!" Sam was saying as he cradled Callen's head. The younger man was trying to say something but all they could hear was a gurgling sound and there was blood bubbling in his mouth. Kate was crying and was trying to wipe some of the blood away from Callen's mouth.

Sam had called an ambulance when Kate had stood in shock before her sprint across the street. Kate was now clinging to her brother chanting, "No, no, no, no, no, NO!" over and over again. "You can't die! You can't!" she sobbed occasionally as the ambulance pulled up and the EMTs accessed the scene before they strapped Callen to a gurney and Kate climbed into the ambulance with her brother.

"Kate," Sam said. "Where's your bag?"

"Over there somewhere." Kate said between sobs I dropped it in the doorway."

"I'm gonna grab that and get your Dad and McGee and meet you at the hospital." Sam said as the EMTs closed the door to the ambulance. "Okay?"

Kate just nodded and cried even harder. Now, Kate was eighteen years old. In the past eighteen years of her life, two family members had really died, one parent had faked her death, her other parent had been blown up and lost his memory, Tony had almost died of a medieval disease, she had been held hostage in Autopsy by a psycho path, she'd watched the 747 jet plane hit the Pentagon, Kate Todd had been shot in the forehead, Tim had almost been arrested for murder, Tony had been framed for murder and taken into FBI custody, Tony's car had been blown up by the CIA and everybody had thought Tony had been in it, Ziva had had been blown up in Morocco, spent some time in Tel Aviv doing God knows what, and to top it all off her older brother may or may not die on the way to the hospital.

Kate's phone vibrated and she answered the call from her father. "Daddy!" she wailed. "Callen's gonna die!"

"No he's not." Jethro soothed his daughter as the SP Agents had mobilized and Sam, McGee, Gibbs, Macy and Nate were on their way to the hospital. "Everything's going to be okay, Princess."

"No it's not!" Kate said. "He got hit a lot, Daddy! There's blood everywhere, and I'm covered in it…and… and…I want my Mommy!"

Jethro sighed. Kate was beyond calming down over the phone now. "Baby Doll, you need to call Tony. Have him the sing you the song. We'll meet you in the ER, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Kate said as she sobbed. "I love you."

"I love you too, Princess." Jethro said. "We'll see you soon."

Jethro hung up the phone and sighed.

"How is she, Boss?" Tim asked worriedly.

"Inconsolable." Jethro said with a sigh. "She's probably going to need therapy, again."

McGee sighed. "Why is it that when our team comes to LA bad things happen, Boss?"

"I don't know, Tim." Jethro said.

"I vote we send the Minor Crime Response Team next time we need to come to LA." McGee said miserably as his phone vibrated. It was a text from Abby. Apparently Kate was beyond forming words into the phone and Tony was singing his hear out. Abby wanted to know why.

"Why did you call Agent Gibson 'Princess'?" Macy asked Gibbs. The silver haired man didn't answer. Macy turned to McGee. He too stayed silent, as did Sam.

"Nate?" Macy asked "Do you know?"

Nate shrugged. "This is just a guess, but I think she's Agent Gibbs's daughter."

"Didn't she…"Macy started sounding confused.

"My older daughter did." Jethro said stonily. "Kate was born a month and a half prematurely."

"Oh." Macy said. "That would make her…"

"Eighteen." Jethro finished.

"And she's been posing as an NCIS Special Agent." Macy said. "And I didn't notice."

"Abby's that good with background information." McGee said.

"Well next time she might want to remember to name the high school Kate attended." Nate said. "She left it blank."

"Oops." McGee said.

"Sam." Gibbs said. "Drive faster, dammit! I don't want my daughter sitting alone in the ER covered in her brother's blood."

Sam just nodded and floored it. There was a chorus of angry horns as Sam weaved the SUV through the downtown LA traffic back towards Venice.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Erin sighed as she watched the blubbering blond girl that had come in with the shooting victim from Venice Beach. The on call doctor had taken one look at the kid and whisked him away to surgery. Erin had found out between sobs from the blond girl that the man was a federal agent that had been shot on his way home and her adopted brother of some sort. The poor girl was covered in his blood and as soon as Erin had walked away the blond girl had whipped out her cell phone called someone named Tony and hadn't hung up since she had called him. That had been about twenty minutes ago. The poor thing was probably traumatized. Andy, Erin's EMT boyfriend, who was one of the EMTs, had said the girl had witnessed the shooting.

Erin went back to filing out the victim's chart and trying to locate the man's next of kin, a Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and was interrupted when a badge of some sort was dropped into her folder. Erin looked up to see a gray haired man had wrapped the young blond in his arms, an older blond woman stood in front of Erin and there was three other men that stepped in front of the blond girl obscuring Erin's view of her.

"May I help you, ma'am?" Erin asked and her Texas accent just twanged away.

"I'm looking for a shooting victim from Venice Beach." The blond woman said.

"He's in surgery." Erin told the other woman. "I do need his name if you have it, Agent Macy."

"Callen." Macy said with a sigh.

"Is that his first or last name?" Erin asked as she pulled up the search tab on her computer.

"Last." Macy replied. "His first is just the letter 'G'."

Erin nodded and the file came up. "One G Callen, employed by the federal agency NCIS. I need to contact his next of kin, a Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Macy raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected Gibbs to be Callen's next of kin, but then again she didn't know that Gibbs had another daughter. "He's trying to calm his daughter down at the moment."

Erin leaned to her right and saw the gray haired man had the blond girl in his lap and she was sobbing into his chest.

"Well, he has some paperwork to fill out when he gets a minute." Erin said sweetly. "Just send him over when you get a chance."

"Thank you." Special Agent Macy said and she turned and headed to the group.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"Did you get Tony to sing to you, Princess?" Jethro asked Kate.

Kate nodded as her father rubbed her back and her sobs gave way to the hiccups. "He sang the whole time, Daddy. He didn't even ask me why."

"That's Tony." Jethro said. "He's just looking out for his baby sister."

Kate nodded and hiccupped. "Is Callen gonna get better?"

"I hope so, Princess." Jethro said.

"Me too," Kate said. "Cynthia's pregnant."

"What?" Jethro asked.

"Callen told me last night." Kate said. "Cynthia called and said she was pregnant and it was his baby, and he's planning on proposing to her on her birthday in August."

Jethro sighed and looked at McGee, Sam and Nate. How were they going to tell Cynthia?

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**May 6, 2009**

Kate sat in the chair in Callen's room watching the monitor with his vital signs as he slept. The past two days had been incredibly stressful, and Kate was just glad Callen would recover from being shot in the chest multiple times.

"Hey, Squirt," Callen croaked out.

Kate jumped; she hadn't even noticed he was awake. "What Ugly Face?"

Callen smiled. It hurt to laugh. "Can you get me some more ice water, please?"

"Sure." Kate replied. "Oh, and just a warning."

"What?" Callen asked worriedly.

"Mom called Cynthia." Kate said with an apologetic smile. "She's on her way from the airport now."

Callen groaned. As much as he loved his girlfriend, he didn't want her to see him like this. In a hospital bed, swathed in wires, gauze and antiseptics.

"Don't worry." Kate said as she poured her brother a glass of water. "She's happy you're alive, she's gonna have your baby and you'll live happily ever after. What could be better than that?"

"Me not being stuck in a hospital bed, two days after I've been shot having this conversation with a slightly traumatized eighteen year old." Callen replied hoarsely as Kate picked a purple bendy straw from the box on the table.

At Callen's incredulous look Kate said "It matches that cup now shut up." Kate put the glass within his reach and kissed his temple. "You know I love you, right?"

Callen smiled and nodded "I love you too, Kate."

"Good," Kate said with a smile. "Now that's covered…" She flicked the side of his head.

"Hey! That hurt!" Callen said.

"Don't ever do anything like that again!" Kate shrieked. "I don't need you dying on me!"

Callen chuckled. "I promise to curb my near death experiences to when you're not around, Squirt."

"Thank you very much!" Kate said and she gingerly leaned in and hugged Callen.

"You're very welcome." Callen replied.

Fifteen minutes later Cynthia and Jethro found Kate and Callen curled up around each other, peacefully sleeping as the TV flashed muted ZNN news reels.

It was a cute ending to a tragic trip to Los Angeles.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you!

Oh and my smiley face reviewer {=)}, the Judgment Day chapters will be coming. See, my episode based stories depend on USA network's NCIS schedule. I DVR them, watch them, take notes, and write the chapter as I watch them. The whole process can take two hours for one episode.


	18. Hide and Seek and Revenge?

Okay, so this one's been sitting in my notebook since October, and I finally found some time to type it up. Enjoy!

I don't own any characters that show up on the TV series. Bummer. I also don't own eBay. Bigger bummer. I do, however own this yummy smelling midnight pomegranate hand cream from Bath and Body works. I need to go to the mall to get more. It's my new favoritest smell ever.

I'm moving the episode, Hide and Seek, from season 6 to season 3 just because I can. Creative license at work :) This makes Kate about fourteen in this chapter.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate stepped off of the elevator and headed for the Bull Penn. She and Becky had just had their first major fight over a boy, and Kate was fuming. She needed to vent; her usual venting techniques bounced between kickboxing lessons with Ziva, pranks, jokes, and revenge plots when necessary with Tony, and retail therapy with Abby. Today it was time for REVENGE!

"Hey, McGee." Kate said as she dumped her backpack and binder on her Dad's desk. "Where's Tony?"

McGee looked up from the eBay auction and replied. "MTAC with Gibbs. Do you need me to scan you in?"

"Nope." Kate replied, heading back for the stairs. "Mom, I mean Director Shepard entered me into the database for emergencies only, of course."

"Is this an emergency?" McGee called after Kate as she bounded up to the catwalk.

"I think it qualifies!" Kate said from the landing behind Tim's desk. "Good luck getting those gold clubs for Ducky."

"Thanks." McGee said sarcastically as he entered his bid for Robert Forman Golf Clubs.

Kate bounced up the remaining steps as her anger with Becky simmered and scanned herself into MTAC. On her way into the inner sanctuary she waved to Charlie, one of the techies, and creeped in so her father couldn't see her.

On the screen was some guy Jethro had just called Mike, and an MP was present in the background. So far Kate's presence was undetected, well except for Charlie. But that was okay; Charlie let Becky and Kate have movie nights in MTAC once a month with the Director's approval.

"He thinks you'll protect him whatever it takes." Gibbs said as he looked at Mike.

"You don't know what it's like." Mike bit out angrily. "Going off to the other side of the world to protect your country, but then you can't be there to protect your own family."

Kate snorted and Tony turned his head and raised an eyebrow at her presence. He jerked his head back to the door telling her to leave. Kate shook her head and sank into the shadows. She was staying now. Mike had just crossed into 'Oh no he _didn't_' territory.

Jethro hadn't noticed the snort; he was fighting off the pain the statement had brought up.

"You want to protect your family?" Gibbs asked. "You **tell the truth!** Did you kill him?" Gibbs demanded to know.

"He was a **bully**! He had it coming!" Mike yelled. "But I didn't do it."

"Why'd you leave town so quick?" Jethro asked the other man.

Kate thought all of Mike's shifting in his chair was because he had a guilty conscience.

"Scheduled to deploy." Mike said. He was hoping that this would work as an alibi.

"No." Tony said. "You were scheduled to deploy in May. You **requested** an earlier deployment. Why?" Tony inquired.

"My family needed the money, okay?" Mike said. "So I asked to move up a couple of months."

"Prison's pretty hazardous, Mike." Tony replied. "If I'd killed somebody, I'd want to get as far away from the investigation too. You got pretty far, pretty fast."

Charlie handed something to Gibbs, who then in turn interrupted Tony's line of questioning. "You stand by, Commander." Gibbs ordered before he stormed out of the other door in MTAC.

Mike flashed a smug smile at Tony as the door slammed behind Gibbs.

Kate took this as her opportunity to take the floor. "Commander." She greeted the man. "He **know** what it feels like. He's a Marine through and through."

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "Really? How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Tony knew the answer before Kate even opened her mouth. "Gibbs is going to kill me when he finds out about this." He hissed at Kate. "Ignore this joker."

Kate instead ignored Tony. "He's my Dad." Kate said as she turned on her heal and headed for the door. "Tony I need your help with something."

"On your six, Boss-ette!" Tony replied as Gibbs returned to cut the Commander loose.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate sat at her dad's desk playing with a pocket knife she had borrowed from Ziva as the team tried to track down some guy named Joey Ellis. Kate thought it was funny how Tony kept calling Joey 'Chicken Man' or 'Our Dumpster Diver'. She didn't get why, but it sounded funny to her. On the plasma DNA ran against a sample of brain matter (EWWWWWW!!!!!) found in the barrel of a gun.

Kate didn't want to know what was going on, but she knew that the comment that Commander Mike had made about protecting your family had cut her Dad real deep. And her playing with a knife from the Israeli assassin made Tim McGee _very_ nervous.

"Ziver, Tony. Get to Norfolk." Kate zoned back in as her father began barking orders and as Tony and Ziva headed for the elevators.

Kate watched her Dad close an old yearbook and say, "Come on Scout Boy, you're with me." McGee grabbed his gear and followed Gibbs out of the Bull Penn.

"What about me?" Kate called as she got out of her chair and put the knife on the desk top. "I'm _obviously_ here for a reason!"

"Do your homework!" Jethro called to her. "We'll talk later."

"GAHH!" Kate said as she threw herself back into the chair. She sat in the chair and sulked for a few minutes before she grabbed her Physical Science book, binder, a pencil and her calculator before heading to Abby's Lab for some help with her Using Math Problems.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Later that night during dinner Kate asked, "So did you find Joey Ellis?"

"Yup." Jethro said as he fed Jay-Jay his bottle. "Don't ask anymore than that."

"Okay." Kate said as she cut up her meatloaf. "Where's Mom?"

"Working late." Jethro said as he put the baby down in his play pen and began cleaning the kitchen.

"Right." Kate said as she dug into her baked potato. "Hey Dad?"

"Yeah, Princess?" Gibbs asked.

Kate smiled at the old nickname. No matter how old she got, she never got tired of that name. "Commander Mike apologized for what he said earlier. He didn't realize you had a family too." Kate said between bites of potato.

"Really?" Jethro said. "How do you know this?"

"imay have snuckinto MTACto talkto Tony." Kate said in one quick breath.

"Want to try that again?" Gibbs asked her.

"I may have snuck into MTAC to talk to Tony." Kate said much more slowly. "Becky and I had this stupid fight over Mike Penn and who was gonna ask him to Homecoming."

"Oh," Jethro said.

"But we got over it when we found out he asked Pauley Stevens, and then she turned him down to go with Mark Cyrus instead." Kate babbled on. "And then we both realized how much of a tool he is. Then Sean Harmon asked me over AIM and I said yes, of course, and David Holly asked Becky before I had to sign off and she said yes. So now we've made up and I don't need Tony's help to plan revenge anymore."

Jethro blinked and pretended he had heard every word that had come out of his daughter's mouth. The freshman in high school could babble on and on for days. So he just focused in on her not needing Tony's help for something. "It was DiNozzo turn to help you vent?" he commented.

"Yup." Kate said. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hey Sweetie," Jenny said as she entered the kitchen. "What did you make, Jethro?"

"My mom's meatloaf recipe, baked potatoes, and asparagus." Jethro replied.

"Gammy Gibbs has the **best** meatloaf ever." Kate said as she pulled out the remnants of Jenny's birthday cake from the fridge. "You want a piece, Dad?"

"Sure." Jethro said as he loaded up the dishwasher.

"What did I miss on your case while I was in my meeting?" Jenny asked her husband.

"Nuthin' much." Kate answered for her father. "Except for this guy called Dad out on something he knew mothering about. But, I took care of it so it's all good."

"Really?" Jenny asked as she reheated her dinner. "How did you do that?"

Kate looked sheepish as Jethro said, "She snuck into MTAC and overheard a conversation she shouldn't have."

"What kind of conversation?" Jenny asked with a groan. That last thing she wanted to do tomorrow was damage control for a fourteen year old with her heart in the right place.

"An interrogation." Jethro said.

"In my defense Charlie didn't have MTAC in interrogation lock down!" Kate protested. "So it wasn't an _official_ interrogation."

Jethro chuckled as he ate his slice of chocolate cake. "Fine. I'll let you **and** Charlie off the hook this time."

Jenny sighed again. "If the SecNav finds out about you using NCIS as a playground we could all be in trouble."

"I'm not using it as a playground, Mom." Kate said. "The butt wipe called Dad out for apparently not knowing what it feels like to be serving your country abroad and unable to defend your family at the same time."

"Oh, well that certainly changes things." Jenny said as she looked at her husband for confirmation. "Only a little change."

Jethro just nodded.

"And?" Jenny asked.

"I told him to politely mind his own business." Kate said. "I also told him that Dad does know, and he needs to think before he speaks."

Jethro and Jen chuckled.

"What?" Kate asked as she bit into her slice of cake.

"It's just that I've been trying to teach you that for years!" Jethro remarked.

"Oh." Kate said. "Well, now I know."

Jethro and Jen just laughed.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Enjoy! It's a little short for me, but I like how it came out.

Happy Early Birthday to NCIS Lover! This chapter's done before I thought it would be!

REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!

Please?


	19. The Monster Fighter

I own nothing. Just little Kate. Read and Review please!

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Leroy Jethro Gibbs awoke one morning in January to hear his daughter crying from her room down the hall. He cracked his eyelids open and threw the covers off of himself with a sigh. Kate was having some issues sleeping through the night, and he had hoped she'd make it through that night. He was wrong. It was one thirty in the morning when Jethro picked Kate up out of her crib. He knew that it was time to give Kate a 'Big Girl Bed', but every time he tried the little girl would cry and end up in bed with him. It looked like the crib was staying for another few months after all.

"Daddy!" Kate cried as she nuzzled his neck. "I had a bad dweam."

"It's okay, Princess." Gibbs said as he bounced the little girl up and down and rubbed her back. "No monsters are going to get you, Daddy's here."

The toddler sniffled and clung even harder to her father. "Dere were big scawy monsters with horns and pointy teef, and they twied to eat me!"

Jethro just rocked the girl back and forth, grabber her favorite blanket, Yellow, and carried them both back to his room. The little girl's sniffles dwindled down as the two Gibbses settled into bed.

"Daddy?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, Princess?" Jethro replied as he paused halfway to the light switch on the wall by the door.

"Can you look in dere for monsters?" Kate asked as she pulled the blankets up over her head. Her little index finger was pointing at her father's closet.

Jethro chuckled and opened the closet door. "There are no monsters in the closet, Princess."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Jethro said reassuringly.

"Okay," Kate said as Jethro shut off the light and got back into bed. The little girl snuggled up to her Daddy with a big smile on her face as she fell back asleep. He Daddy was the bestest Monster Fighter ever.

That night as Kate dreamed, the monsters tried to come back, but Monster Fighter Daddy and his sidekick, Sir Yellow the Blankie, fought them off and kept Princess Kate safe.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

This is a short little piece that was floating around in the back of my mind and then next thing I know, POOF! New Chapter! Next up will be Kate going sledding for the first time. Reviews please!


	20. Sledding

So, this past weekend all it did was snow in the Greater Boston Area, in which I live. Meaning I got to shovel. A lot. Wahoo! Not. But that also meant me and my friends (all seniors in high school) bundled up in our ski pants and winter jackets to go sledding behind the middle school down the street. SLEDDING PARTY! It was fun, and got me thinking, there was snow on Gibbs' truck in Faith, so since it apparently snows in Gibbs' neighborhood, he's taking little itty bitty Kate sledding.

In this adorable fluff filled chapter, Kate is only two years old, and has never been sledding before. She really hasn't seen snow either. So read and review.

PS, if you've never seen snow, you aren't missing much. Sure it's cute and makes a nice looking yard for Christmas, but it's a major pain when you have to shovel out your house and your neighbor's driveway, and your grandparents' stairs, driveway, back stairs, side stairs, the back walkway, and a parking spot for their visitors three in one weekend. And yes, we do own a snow blower. My dad doesn't let us use it. He says that shoveling's good for us because it's exercise. He just doesn't wanna share his snow blower.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Two year old Kate stared up at the sky and sighed. It was all cloudy and cold and icky outside. She wanted to go outside and play very badly, but Daddy said it was too cold out. Silly Daddy, Kate thought. 'That's why I have my big fluffy coat!'

Jethro just watched as Kate forlornly stared out the big window in their front door.

"Play outside?" she asked in her adorable little girl voice with big blue puppy dog eyes that Jethro knew he would falter under.

"Not today, Princess." Jethro said as he walked out of the kitchen and towards the living room. "Inside."

"No." Kate said and crossed her arms across her chest. "Outside."

"It's too cold, Katie-Baby." Jethro retorted as he scooped up his daughter.

Kate pouted with the big soulful eyes making Jethro chuckle at her adorableness.

"Still not going out." Jethro told her as he spun her around.

Kate giggled and clapped her hands once they stopped spinning. "Again, again, Daddy!"

Jethro shook his head 'No'. "It's time for somebody's nap."

"No nap!" Kate exclaimed as Jethro took her upstairs to her room. "No nap! Big girls no nap!"

"Big girls do to nap." Jethro said to his protesting toddler.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" the two year old howled as Jethro pulled off her sneakers and put her in her crib. He kissed her on the top of her head handed her Yellow Blankie and Baby Betty before shutting off the light and pulling down the shades in her room.

"Sleep tight, Princess." Jethro said as he attempted to close the door to her room.

"DADDY!" Kate shrieked just as the door was about to close.

"What?" Jethro asked with mock confusion on his face.

"You didn't check for monsters or turn on Mr. Night-Night!" Kate said admonishing her father for his slip of the mind.

"You're right!" Jethro said as he opened Kate's closet. "No monsters here, Mr. Night-Night is on, so that means it's time for your nap."

Kate huffed, crossed her arms and plopped down on her bottom with a quivering lip as Jethro kissed her again, turned the light off a second time, and closed the door.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

A half hour later, Jethro looked up from his new Tom Clancy novel his father had sent him for Christmas to see that it was starting to snow. He silently groaned he was dreading the inevitable shoveling that came with the snow.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Three hours later when Kate finally woke up from her nap, the ground was covered in a layer of snow. An inch and a half had fallen and more was expected. Washington DC and the surrounding communities were gridlocked by the unexpected winter storm.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"Daddy," Kate asked sleepily as she rubbed her eyes as her father carried her back down the stairs. "What's the white stuff outside?"

Jethro stopped and looked at Kate. He had forgotten his little gift hadn't seen snow before. "It's snow, Princess."

"Snow?" Kate asked curiously.

"Snow." Jethro said in confirmation. "It's cold and wet. When it's too cold to rain, it snows."

"Oh." Kate said. "Can you play in it?"

Jethro chuckled. "Yeah, you can."

"Can we, Daddy?" Kate asked with a big smile?

"After lunch, Princess" Jethro said absentmindedly as he tried to remember where Kelly's old snowsuit and boots were.

"YAY!! Snow, snow, playing in the snow! Snow, snow, playing in the snow!" Kate sang as Jethro put her down in her booster seat at the table and started making her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, no crusts of course.

As Kate made a mess of her face with the grape jelly and Skippy peanut butter concoction, Jethro was rummaging around in the basement closet Shannon had deemed as the home of her 'Stuff to keep for Future Kids/Neighbor's Kids that Kelly Has Out-Grown' boxes. Inside one of those boxes was definitely an old snowsuit that should fit Kate, along with some snow boots. '_I should probably go out and buy Kate some of her own later this week_' Jethro mused as he found Kelly's faded pink and purple snowsuit and matching mittens. '_Kate's going to reach a point when she's sick of the hand-me-downs._'

Back upstairs Kate was busy making a master piece on the tray of her booster seat. There was a peanut butter sun, a PB&J house, jelly people, bread crumbs as flowers, and more jelly smeared all over the little white plastic tray.

Just as the little girl was putting the finishing touches on her artwork, jelly fingerprint clouds were a must have after all; Jethro came up the stairs with the winter clothing and boots. He let out a groan at the sight of his two year daughter happily making a mess of her booster seat while singing 'The Rubber Ducky' song from Sesame Street at the top of her lungs.

"Wubber Ducky you the one! You make baf time so much fun! Wubber Ducky I love you!" Kate warbled. She didn't know all of the words so she just sang what she knew and what sounded like it belonged in the song. "Everyday when I make my way to the tubby! I find a little ducky who's cute and yellow and chubby! Boo Boo Bee Do!"

Jethro laughed at his daughter and scooped her out of the booster seat from behind her.

"DADDY!" Kate squealed as she pulled out of her chair. "I no done making pretty pictures!"

"Oh, yes you are young lady." Jethro said as he surveyed the damage. "What have I said about playing with your food?"

Kate shrugged. How was she apposed to remember _**ALL**_ of her Daddy's rules? There were lots of them, like about bed time and how many stories she got and one about bath time. There were lots and lots of rules.

Jethro sighed and had to remind himself that Kate was too young to retain all of the rules. "We don't play with our food." Jethro reminded his pintsized Princess as he set her on the kitchen counter to clean up her face. "So no more PB&J masterpieces. Got it?"

Kate huffed as she nodded and squirmed away from the wet washcloth that was on her face. "Daddy!" she whined. "I clean, I clean!"

Jethro laughed and picked her back up. "Now you're clean, Princess." He set the girl back down and picked up the now brown and purple tray and put in the dishpan. He could deal with that later.

"You want to go play in the snow?" He asked Kate.

The ear to ear grin on Kate's face was his answer. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." Jethro said as the little girl held her hands out for the snowsuit by the door.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Ten minutes later Kate was bundled up like a marshmallow and couldn't put her arms down. Jethro was suddenly struck with the classic line from A Christmas Story, "I can't put my arms down!"

"What's so funny, Daddy?" Kate asked her father as he pulled the sled out of the garage.

"Nothing, Princess." Jethro said as he put the sled in the back of his truck and put Kate in her booster seat.

"Where we going?" Kate asked over her mitten. The little girl was gnawing on her mitten and watching her father with her baby blue eyes.

"Sledding." Jethro replied as he directed the old truck towards the local sledding hot spot, the soccer fields behind the elementary school two blocks over.

"What's dat?" Kate asked.

Jethro just smiled and said "You'll see when we get there."

Kate just shrugged and clapped when her Daddy turned on the radio. Kate loved music and would wiggle around in her seat like she was dancing.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate sat in the sled as Jethro pulled it up the hill and waved to the other children who were out on the cold wintery Saturday afternoon. Out of all of the kids that were gathered behind George Washington Carver, Kate was by far the youngest child outside. Once they reached the top of the hill, Jethro pulled Kate out, climbed into the sled, and put Kate back down in his lap.

"Ready, Kate?" Jethro asked Kate.

The little girl looked down the hill and felt the snowflakes lazily falling against her face. "Otay." She said to her Daddy and they were off.

The hill and other kids whizzed by and the snowflakes started to sting as they hit Kate's face. She leaned further back into her Daddy as a squeal escaped from her lips. Suddenly she wasn't moving anymore. They were at the bottom of the hill. Kate sat on her Daddy's lap in shock and twisted around to see the hill again. Then she looked in front of her.

"Are you okay, Katie?" Jethro asked as he picked up the little girl.

She nodded her head 'yes' slowly. "Daaaaaddy." She said drawing out the 'a'.

"Yes, Kate?"

"Let's do that again!" She shrieked happily and squirmed to be put down. Jethro complied and Kate ran up the hill, only stumbling twice in footprints from an older child.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

An hour later Jethro carried a red faced, sleeping Kate back into their home and began removing her snowsuit and boots. The little girl had a blast out on the sled, and had quickly tired herself out by running up the hill every time they went down. She had insisted on going up on her own.

"Daddy?" Kate asked, her voice sounding groggy and scratchy.

"Yeah, Kate?"

"Can we go again tomorrow?" she asked through a yawn.

"Maybe after Church."Jethro replied.

"Otay." Kate said as she drifted back to sleep and Jethro carried her back up to her bedroom to put her down for another nap. After all, she'd had a long day between painting her own Monet, and her first time sledding.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

REVIEWS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	21. Abby and Crushes

Plot bunnies come out of nowhere when you least expect it. Today, I was getting my hair cut and I was talking to my cousin (who just happens to be my stylist… :P she's like the most amazing prom hair person to go to! I know a ton of people who fight over time slots for her before dances, and Julie just goes 'Hey gibby101, what time do you want for me to do your hair for prom? One o'clock? That's great!' and that leaves everybody else scrambling to get an appointment, cuz after all, blood is thicker than water) But anyways we were talking about this guy I like and how socially awkward I am and how I'm not totally sure he's into me, but from what I told her she says he likes me… So I might go for it, even though it would totally be breaking Rule Twelve…

So anyways Kate is going to be sixteen (aka a sophomore in high school) in this chapter and to avoid her parents finding out about the guy, she'll be going to Abby for advice. I'm sorry in advance if Abby sounds OOC. She's one of the people I have a hard time writing. So just leave a review please!

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**June, 2007**

Kate hopped from foot to foot as she waited in the security line at the NCIS building. She didn't like the looks the two new guards kept giving her. It wasn't her fault they'd never seen a teenager willingly come into a Federal Agency building before.

"Name please, Miss." Sleazy One asked.

"Kate Gibbs." Kate replied. She was hoping her last name would cause the Leering Twins to back down. No such luck. '_Maybe they haven't heard of Dad yet._' Kate thought. '_Well, they'll meet him once I tell him about the looks they keep sending me.'_

"Full first name." Sleazy One instructed.

"Caitlin Gibbs." Kate said. "C-A-I-T-L-I-N" she spelled it out as she saw one of the man's fingers gravitated to the 'K' key on his keyboard.

The man nodded and corrected himself as he typed in the name to the data base. "You come here rather frequently, Miss Gibbs." Sleazy One commented as Sleazy Two chuckled from the X-ray machine.

"My Dad's an Agent." Kate replied sweetly. "And he will kick your ass once I tell him about the leering looks you've sent my way."

"What leering looks?" Sleaze Ball One asked.

"The ones you've been giving me for the past ten minutes while I've been waiting in line for my pass." Kate replied. "Sam usually gives me that blue striped one that you're using as a coaster for your coffee mug."

Sleazy One looked down at the special visitor's badge and back at Kate. "It's got your photo on it." He said confused.

"That's because it's her badge." Gibbs said as he came up behind his daughter. "Hi, Kate."

"Oh, hi Daddy." Kate said innocently as she stuck out her hand for the badge. "What are you doing down here?"

"The director might have mentioned you were having some issues at the front desk and that I come in and help." Jethro said absentmindedly. "I was just getting in from a coffee run, so no hassle."

"You take like four of those a day." Kate said. "Lay off the caffeine Pops before it kills you." Kate looked down at Sleazy One. "Uh, badge? Don't got all day here. I have a hair appointment at four thirty." It was two o'clock now.

At the intimidating glare from Gibbs, Sleaze Ball One slid the badge out from underneath his empty coffee mug and reluctantly handed it off to Kate.

"Oh, and Wyman." Gibbs said. "If I _ever_ catch you staring like that at my daughter again, you'll wish you'd never been born."

Wyman, formerly addressed as Sleazy One or Sleaze Ball One, nodded with wide eyes. He'd heard stories in the break room about Gibbs, like he could shoot a man from twenty feet away and hit him in the heart, and that criminals would rather confess than have to sit through an interrogation with Gibbs, but he didn't think they were true until now.

Kate just breezed through the security checkpoints and stepped onto the elevator and closed the doors before her father could step onto the elevator. Kate rode it to the second floor, got off and headed down the hallway that led to the elevator to Abby's lab and Autopsy.

Once she was on Abby's floor, Kate just grinned as she recognized the new song from Stop Making Friends. Kate was pretty sure it was called "Fear"; she loved it, and was planning on downloading it from iTunes once she learned the title.

"Hey, Abbs!" Kate cried over the music.

The loveable Goth whirled around to see a slightly frustrated blond teenager with flyaway hair standing in her lab. "Kate!" Abby squealed and rushed to hug the young girl.

Kate dropped her blue L.L. Bean backpack with a THUD and embraced her pseudo sister. "I haven't' seen you down here in forever!" Abby said excitedly. "What brings you down here?"

"I need your help." Kate said as they separated. "It isn't illegal, but I don't want Mom _or_ Dad to find out about it yet."

"Find out about what?" Abby asked as she paused her mix CD.

"There's this guy…" Kate started uncertainly as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"Ahh." Abby said. "Our little Kate has a crush on somebody!"

Kate nodded. "Can I tell you about him and you won't tell anybody, not even Timmy?"

Abby pretended to think about it and nodded. "Come on," she said as she tugged Kate into her office. "We need us some girl time!"

Kate just giggled and threw herself onto the futon in Abby's office.

"So, spill!" Abby ordered as she gave Kate her newest CafPow! The one Abby was drinking now was only a quarter of a way empty.

Kate greedily slurped on the caffeinated drink before she spoke. "Well," she said after a moment of heartfelt slurping. "His name is Daniel Osborne, but everybody calls him Oz."

"Like the kid on Buffy?" Abby asked.

"Exactly," Kate said. "That's what I asked him, and he just laughed. Apparently his older brother Mike is a huge Buffy nerd and started calling Danny 'Oz' one day and it stuck."

"I thought you said everybody calls this guy Oz." Abby said as she and Bert joined Kate on the futon.

"Yup." Kate said. "_But_ he told me to call him Danny. His friends were kinda surprised when he said that to me."

Abby smiled. It seemed that Kate's little crush was reciprocated. "Then what?"

"Well he kinda hinted that his band was playing at this under 18 club in Arlington on Friday night and that I should go." Kate said. "But I don't think I can go."

"Why not?" Abby asked. "You take your friends, tell Gibbs you're sleeping over at Becky's and then you're good."

"No go on the Becky part." Kate said sullenly. "She has pneumonia."

"Oooph." Abby said. "What about Gabby, Jenna, Julia and Michelle?"

"Shelly's got a bat mitzvah to go to, Jenna's uncle flying in from Oklahoma, Julia's grounded for sneaking out last weekend, and Gabby's taking the SAT's the next morning." Kate rattled off. "Believe me; I tried to find out if they could just get away for a half hour."

The two girls sighed and took long slurps from their oversized caffeinated beverages.

"What about your cousin Calliegh?" Abby asked suddenly.

"The one from Ireland?" Kate asked in disbelief. "What about her?"

"Could she go with you?" Abby asked.

"She probably would if she was in the country." Kate said sullenly. "Aunt Juliette thought it would be a good idea to move back to freaking Dublin to be closer to Uncle Liam."

Shannon's older half sister Juliette had married a wealthy Irish business man the summer Jethro and Shannon had met. Shannon had gone to Stillwater for the summer to escape the craziness that had enveloped her parents as they had planned the wedding. Out of the five O'Reilly children, Calliegh was Kate's favorite for two reasons. One, Calliegh was the only girl, and two, she liked to liven things up and constantly said "Loosen up Uncle LJ! Me and Katie here aren't gonna get ourselves killed if we go clubbing tonight!" to Jethro. Most of the time it worked and the two cousins would head off to The Coach House in Arlington with Calliegh's entourage. The girl was four years older than Kate, and had friends _everywhere!_ Very rarely did Calliegh enter a major city where some big wig CEO's daughter was tripping over herself to meet the heiress of O'Reilly Shipping Industries. Although you couldn't tell it by the way she acted, Calliegh was a very shy, insecure girl. The Gibbs family brought out the bolder wilder half of Calliegh, which was a good thing.

"Well, can't you call her?" Abby asked.

"I don't think so." Kate said. "They flew out yesterday night and Calliegh's probably exhausted."

Abby nodded and pulled Kate in for a hug. "Well, you know what that means?"

"What?" Kate asked.

"You, me and Ziva are having a girls night out on Friday." Abby firmly stated. "We'll make an appearance at the Coach House and you can schmooze with crush for a while. Ziva and I can mingle and supervise at the same time."

Kate slurped nosily on her CafPow! "I don't think Ziva should come." She said after a few minutes. "It'd look weird if I went into a teenagers club with two adults."

"Oh." Abby said. "You're right."

"You I can easily pass off as my way cool cousin in college, but Ziva…" Kate trailed off.

"I see your point," Abby said as she too slurped away. "We need to send someone on a CafPow! run." Abby commented as she shook her plastic cup. "I'm almost out."

Kate and Abby looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"So," Abby said as she gasped for breath. The two girls could easily dissolve into giggles over the simplest things, like someone stating the obvious. "What's the scoop on Danny?"

Kate actually blushed. She hadn't been this embarrassed since her 'friend' (now affectionately referred to as Aunt Flo) had made a surprise appearance in middle school. "Well," Kate said. "He's got dirty blond hair and he kinda looks like one of the guys from Stick It, and he's got blue eyes, and he always flirts with me. At least I _think_ he's flirting with me." Kate added nervously. "What if he isn't flirting with me and I'm taking this the wrong way!"

"Relax." Abby said. "Tell me what he does when you think he's flirting with you."

"Well there was this one time during my study that I went to the library and Danny was there too, and he sat down at my table and started doing his homework like I was doing." Kate started off. "And I was having trouble with my geometry so Danny saw how frustrated I was, pulled his chair around the table and just stared helping me with it. He doesn't normally do that." Kate said. "Most of the time he tells people the basics and lets them struggle on their own to find the answer. He just sat there with me until I could do them on my own. He even gave me a little hug when the bell rang."

"He is so totally into you." Abby said. "He'd be crazy if he wasn't."

Kate giggled and picked at Bert's collar. "Earlier this week Maddie White was trying to make me feel bad about something and Danny just walked right up to her and told her to shut the 'eff' up cuz she didn't know me enough to make those statements."

"What did she say?" Abby asked Kate.

Kate shook her head 'no'. "I'm not going to tell you. I told Mr. McCurtain and he's handling it. I heard he's suspending Maddie for a few days and pulling her off of the varsity cheer team."

"Is that a big deal?" Abby asked as she heard Kate's tone of voice.

"Huge." Kate replied. "Maddie's a captain. Coach Cooper is _pissed_."

"I'd think she would be if he captain just got suspended for saying something." Kate said. "The bitch slapped me across the face too."

"No!" Abby said.

"Yup." Kate said with a nod. "Where do you think Dad was on Monday morning? A two hour long coffee run?"

Abby just shrugged. "I had a doctor's appointment so I came in late on Monday. I didn't even notice Gibbs wasn't here. They didn't have a case."

"Oh." Kate said as she continued to drink her CafPow! She was officially addicted to the caffeinated beverage now; thanks to Abby. "So about Friday…"

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Friday night around six-ish, Kate grabbed her old soccer bag, which doubled as her overnight bag, and bounced down the stairs as she waited for Abby's hearse to pull up in the driveway.

"Where are you going?" Jethro asked his daughter when he saw the overnight bag by the front door.

"I'm sleeping over at Abby's tonight." Kate replied. "Why?"

"Did we talk about this and I forgot about agreeing?" Jethro asked her.

"Nope." Kate said. "Mom said I could go."

"She did, did she?"

"Yeah." Kate said. "She and Jay-Jay are at the supermarket bee-tee-dubs."

"Bee-tee-dubs?" Jethro asked.

"BTW. By the way? Ringing any bells there, Dad?" Kate asked with a laugh.

Jethro sighed. "Teenagers." He muttered went back to his crossword puzzle in the living room.

Kate just giggled and flung open the front door to the house as Abby's hearse pulled into the driveway. "Bye Dad! See you tomorrow night!"

"Bye Kate." Jethro said. "Behave!" he added.

"Don't I always?" Kate said and then she was gone.

"Hey, Kate." Abby said as Kate climbed into the car and threw her bag into the back. "You ready to hit the Coach House?"

"I need to change at your place first." Kate said. "There's no way I'm going there in these jeans or this sweatshirt."

"Ahhhh." Abby said with a sigh. "Young love at its best."

"Abby." Kate whined. "I thought we agreed to keep this on the down low!"

"Kate!" Abby whined imitating Kate. "I haven't told anybody, and besides, it's just you and me in the car."

Kate stuck her tongue out at Abby.

"You never did tell me the name of Danny's band." Abby said after they had been jamming out to one of Abby's CDs for a while.

"Oh." Kate said with smile. "It's um… You know, I don't know it either!" she admitted. "All I know is that he's the drummer and he says that they're really good."

"He's biased." Abby said.

"So am I!" Kate retorted. "I mean he's… he's Danny! The band has got to be really good, or at least the percussion is going to be really good."

"Oh, you've got it baaaad." Abby said teasingly as she pulled into her condo's driveway.

Kate just blushed and playfully punched Abby in the arm as she grabbed her bag and headed for the condo.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Ten minutes later Kate had changed into a clean pair of jeans and a tee shirt that had "Dingoes Ate My Baby" emblazoned across the front.

"Where'd you find that shirt?" Abby asked.

"The wonders of the internet and your mother's credit card." Kate said wistfully. "It as a birthday present."

Abby smiled. "It's very appropriate seeing you're crushing on a guy named Oz."

Kate laughed and she and Abby were off to see Danny and his band at the Coach House.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Once Kate and Abby made it into the club, Kate began scanning the crowd for Danny's shock of red hair. Kate found him on stage setting up with the rest of the band, and the name on the bass drum was blocked by Reggie Marsden, a senior who played bass for the band. When Danny looked up to scan the crowd himself, Kate waved and a huge grin broke out over the junior's face.

Abby just laughed and headed for the bar. Even though Coach House mainly catered to the local teenagers, plenty of college students and 20 somethings frequented it as well. With this clientele in mind, the management did keep some alcohol on hand, and Abby wanted to have a little and let Kate have some time with Danny before his band went on.

"Hey, Danny." Kate said as Danny appeared next to her.

"Hey, Kate. Nice shirt." Danny said with a smile.

"Thanks, my mom got it for me for my birthday."

"It looks good on you." Danny said causing Kate to blush.

"Thanks." She muttered.

"You want a Coke?" Danny asked her after a moment of awkwardness between them.

"Sure." Kate said.

Danny took her hand in his and led her through the crowd to the bar. Abby waved from her barstool and watched the two teens on their first date.

Almost an hour after Kate and Abby had arrived; the band was assembled on stage, and Tom Mosley, a senior and the lead singer, tapped on the microphone and blew into before he spoke. "Hey guys, we're My Baby ate the Dingoes…"

The crowd went wild as Abby slid up next to Kate. "Looks like Danny Boy's band is pretty popular."

"How could they not with that name?" Kate asked Abby. "It's like the band from Buffy…"

"But backwards!" Abby finished. "How original."

"Shh!" Kate said as Tom began to talk again.

"Thanks a ton for having us here tonight," Tom was saying. "We're going to start off with some covers tonight if that okay with you. According to Oz, it's a certain somebody's favorite song in the entire world."

Kate started to blush when Tom actually looked at her. "They're not going to play it are they?"

Abby just smiled. "I think they are."

"I'm going to hug him, kiss him, and then kill him." Kate said. "In that order."

Abby just laughed as My Baby ate the Dingoes started to play Sister Hazel's song 'All for You'.

Kate just sighed and watched Danny play and he watched her watching him. It was cute, Abby decided. She just hoped that Gibbs didn't find out about their little excursion just yet…

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

So my amazingest friend ever Surferdude lots of numbers….I'm too lazy to check them all, gets virtual tootsie pops for being my 100th reviewer! Yay! 100 reviews at chapter 20. Let's keep the ball rolling people and try to get 150 before chapter 28. That too much to ask for? Reviews are like air. I need them!


	22. Dad and Dinner

**June, 2007**

**Sunday**

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

On Sunday mornings after nine A.M. mass, Leroy Jethro Gibbs always read the Sunday edition of the Washington Post cover to cover, starting with the funnies and ending with the section that covered the local music scene. As it happened every Sunday, Jethro put down the comics and Kate snatched them up along with her portion of raspberry or lemon Danish and the customary glass of milk that accompanied the breakfast treat. Over the years Jenny had become part of the Gibbs family and added hazelnut flavored coffee to the Sunday ritual for the adults. Jay-Jay had come along, and now Kate's plate held two slices of Danish, one for her and one for the toddler that followed his sister around like a little puppy dog.

Today was no different. Kate was on her stomach across the hallway in the living room reading the comics to Jay-Jay and tickled the boy occasionally. Jenny was immersed in the political section and would scoff occasionally or scribble something on National Security down on her legal pad.

Today Jethro skipped to the local music section before he reached for the Travel section. On the front page was a band that came from Kate's high school, My Baby Ate the Dingoes, or something like that. They had apparently played a gig at the Coach house on Friday night. Jethro read the story and was impressed that a band made up of juniors and seniors in high school was in high demand in the tri-state area. It was even rumored that a record deal was in the works for them.

The story was continued on a page inside the section and Jethro absentmindedly turned the pages to find it. Before he could continue to read, he spotted a picture of Abby and Kate in a crowd. Kate looked embarrassed and she had a look on her face like she wanted to kill somebody. Abby was caught on film in mid-laugh with an arm thrown over Kate's shoulders pulling the girl in for a one armed hug.

"Caitlin," Jethro said. "Come here, please."

"Yous in twouble." Jay-Jay informed his older sister. "Daddy usded you full name."

"Yeah, Dad?" Kate said as she sat up, ruffled Jay-Jay's unruly mop of red hair and jumped to her feet to cross the hallway to the fancy schmancy formal dining room.

"According to Oz, this is a certain somebody's favorite song in the entire world." Jethro read aloud. "The band then proceeded to play a cover of Sister Hazel's chart topping hit, 'All For You' and several Matchbox Twenty covers including their hits "Real World' and the ever popular 'Bent'. Lead vocalist and guitarist Tom Mosley tells the WP that 'Oz's girl came tonight so he wanted to surprise her with her favorite songs."

Kate gave her parents a sheepish look as Jethro continued to read the story. Jenny had a soft smile that lit up her face and rolled her eyes at her husband. '_So a boy asks his little girl out, it ends up in the paper and he's reading it to her. This could be a lot worse._' Jenny thought to herself.

"Mosley wouldn't name the lucky girl no matter how much he was prodded. 'It's not my place to blab on my buddy's love life,' he told this reporter and the assembled crowd. 'Plus if I did, she'd probably kick my [but]. She's a tough chick and she's not afraid to let a guy know it." Jethro looked at Kate as he folded up his paper. "So, when do I get to meet this 'Oz' fellow?"

Kate was relieved. She thought she'd be in trouble for going to the club with Abby without asking her parents for permission. Sure, she'd gone to the under 18 club with a responsible, '_Ahh it's Abby'_ Kate thought. '_Abby, and responsible adult should never appear in the same sentence as club.' _

"Um, well I can ask him to come to dinner one night." Kate offered nervously. "I'll ask him what nights he doesn't have gigs or practice."

"You do that." Jethro replied with a smile. "I want to meet the boy who's got my Princess smitten."

"Smitten?" Jenny echoed her husband as she took off her reading glasses.

"Yeah, I said 'smitten'. Is that a problem, Jen?" Jethro asked defensively.

Jenny was chuckling to herself. "You're dating yourself, Jethro." She said fondly.

"By saying 'smitten'? Gibbs sighed. "Okay, then, I want to meet the boy who's got my Princess all love sick. How's that Jen?"

"Much better, Daddy." Kate responded as she leaned over the arm of his chair to kiss his cheek. The father and daughter hugged, and Kate headed back into the hallway and towards the stairs with a bounce in her step to change out of her Church clothes.

"Kate," Jethro said.

"Yeah, Daddy?" Kate said as she paused on the stairs.

"You do realize," Jethro started, "that the team will know by 07:00 on Monday, or by now that you have a boyfriend."

"I know." Kate said. She wasn't sure where her dad was going with his train of thought.

"And you do realize once DiNozzo and McGee get Oz's full name from the reporter," Jethro paused and looked back at the article. "Tricia Braeden, that they'll run a full background check on him and have his cell phone number by noon tomorrow."

Kate's face blanched and she ran up the stairs to her room where her cell lay on the bedside table. She had forgotten the most important part about the 'boyfriend thing'. Tony and Tim would dig up every minute and insignificant detail about her boyfriend unless she threatened what they held near and dear to their hearts. Tony's Magnum PI DVD collection and the secret identity of Thom E. Gemcity were at stake if ether one of them even thought about a background check.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

The next Saturday, Danny Osborne stood on the door step to the Gibbs home in Anacostia and fidgeted with is tie as he waited for the front door to open. Kate hadn't been too sure about what dinner was, so Danny was playing it safe, a pair of nice chinos, a colored shirt and a matching tie in teal blue. It matched the color of Kate's eyes, and was now Danny's favorite color. He was starting to slightly regret the long sleeved shirt idea the longer he had to wait at the door. Just as he was about to ring the doorbell for the second time, the door was flung open.

"Who you?"

Danny looked down to see a little red headed boy standing at door. He had his fingers from one hand in his mouth, and in the other hand was a well loved teddy bear in a Marine's uniform.

"Danny Osborne." Danny said as he looked at the little boy in SpongeBob Square Pants pajamas. "I'm here to see Kate. Is she home?"

The little boy coked his head to the side. "You Oz." he said.

"People call me that." The teenager said.

"I Jay-Jay." The little boy said. "Dis is Mer-Mer Bear. He's a Mawine."

"I can see that." Danny said.

"Hey, Danny." Kate said as she appeared from the back of the house in a sundress. "Jay-Jay," she said in a warning tone. "You know you're not supposed to answer the front door."

"But Tony and Timmy are coming!" Jay-Jay said with a pout.

"Not tonight." Kate said.

"But they said they were!" Jay-Jay cried. "They neber lie!"

"Come on in Danny," Kate said with a sigh as she scooped up the pajama clad toddler.

"Thanks." The brunette said as he came in and shut the door behind him keeping the heat out and the central air conditioning in. "Wow, your house is nice."

"Thanks." Kate said as she led Danny back to the dining room and to her Mom as she finished putting out the ribs for their dinner. "You should have seen Grandpa Jackson's old place in Georgetown. It's like a palace."

"Your Grandpa lived in Georgetown?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, it was a family house or something." Kate said. "It's this massive Brownstone, and Mom says I can buy it from her if I want to once I'm old enough to pay her for it."

"Sweet deal." Danny said.

"It is." Kate said. "It's time for _you_ to be in bed."

Jay-Jay stuck out his tongue at his sister and pouted. "No. Me waiting for Tony an' Timmy."

"It's bedtime." Jethro said as he came down the stairs and walked into the dining room to take Jay-Jay from Kate. "You were up late enough last night when Abby, Tony, and McGee were here."

"Buts they coming back tonight, Daddy!" Jay-Jay protested as he yawned. "Timmy and Tony promiseded."

Jethro just chuckled and carried the boy back up to his room as he fought off sleep.

"So, that's your Dad." Danny said as Jenny came back into the dining room and sat down.

"Yeppers," Kate said. "He's normally not so… cuddly wuddly."

"Cuddly wuddly?" Danny echoed.

"It's not a phrase most often used to describe Jethro," Jenny said with a smile as she looked at the two teenagers sitting at the table.

"Dad's got a reputation of being a tough as nails retired Marine who can get the bad guys to confess with just a look." Kate explained. "People have been known to fall over in shock when they see him in 'Dad Mode'."

"Really?" Danny asked curiously.

"Totally." Kate said. "I think the former Director, Director Morrow, had to sit down the first time he saw me and Dad together."

"Why?" Danny asked.

"Let me put it this way, Danny." Kate said with a smile. "My Dad's a retired Marine Sniper who can tell when you're lying to him and he can get a murderer to confess in two minutes with the patented Gibbs Glare. So imagine that this is the guy you've been working with for years, and one day you need to swing by his place to grab a copy of a case file. You pull into the driveway and ignore the little red wagon on the front lawn and ring the door bell."

Danny nodded. "Go on,"

"The last thing you're expecting to see when the door opens is that same Tough as Nails Marine wearing the _Pretty, Pretty Princess_ tiara and matching accessories."

Danny and Jenny both snorted as they stifled their giggles.

"What's so funny?" Jethro asked as he joined them.

"Pretty," Jenny said between bursts of laughter.

"Pretty," Kate said with a devious smile.

"PRINCESS!" they finished together and continued to laugh.

Jethro sighed. "Whose bright idea was it to bring _that_ up?"

"What color where you in that round, Jethro?" Jenny asked with a smile.

"Pink." Jethro said as the three in front of him burst out into laughter. After a few minutes he sighed and sat down in his chair. "Are you finished?"

"Yeah." Kate said as she wiped her eyes. "We're good I think."

"What took so long?" Jenny asked as the kids dug into the meal before them, ribs, corn on the cob, cole slaw and salad.

"Jay-Jay wouldn't let me leave him alone up there without two stories, the usual songs, and I had to triple check his closet for monsters tonight." Jethro said. "Kate."

"Yeah, Dad?" Kate said as she helped herself to some salad.

"Do me a favor? If you guys are going to watch vampire movies or Buffy watch it at Abby's or DiNozzo's place please." Jethro said. "Jay-Jay's convinced that there are evil vampires hiding in his closet."

"Oops." Kate said sheepishly. "Sorry, Dad. It was Abby's turn to pick the movie, and Tony got a little freaked out too."

Jenny chuckled. "I can't believe that man has made it this far with a vampire phobia."

"Like he's going to meet a vamp on the job." Kate said rolling her eyes.

"My Dad works with the wannabees at the Juvie lock up Clarke County." Danny said. "There are a ton of kids who get locked up that are total vamp groupies."

"Really?" Jenny asked. "Do you think it's because of the pop culture fixation on vampires or…"

"Mom!" Kate said. "I thought we agreed to not bring up the total Mom-ish questions!"

Danny laughed. "It's cool. Mrs. Gibbs, I personally believe that it's what they want to do. If they think they're vampires then they can spend all the time with my Dad they want. He's the shrink and it's mandatory for them to spend at least eight hours a week with him, minimum."

"Fun stuff." Kate said between bites of rib.

"So what does your mother do, Daniel?" Jethro asked as he sent his daughter a look. She hadn't broken the habit of talking with her mouth open.

"She's an accountant at the FBI." Daniel said. "She covers the budget for that particular field office. She's not a forensic account, but she's got the degree if they need her to become one."

"That's good to know." Kate said with a small smile. Danny smiled right back at her. Jenny smiled to herself and she could see the grin tugging on Jethro's lips.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"Thank you again for inviting me to dinner," Danny said to Kate as he helped her clear the table. "I had a good time."

"Are you kidding me?" Kate said with a sigh. "That was the love child between the Spanish Inquisition and one of my Dad's interrogations!"

Dinner was over, dessert had been served and Danny and Kate had volunteered to clean up. Jenny and Jethro both liked the stoic young man that had taken in interest in Kate. A thumbs up from both parents informed Kate that she was good to go for future dates. All they needed was a one day heads up to not pull out too much meat to thaw for dinner on the night of her date.

"It's not like when my sister, Ali, brought home her boyfriend." Danny said with a smile as the loaded up the dishwasher. "The poor guy was shaking he was so nervous and he was sweating and all my Dad did was make comments about Ali's last screw up boyfriend."

"Nice Dad." Kate said.

"I know." Danny said. "But my Dad let up and Ali ended up dumping him the next week."

"How come?" Kate asked.

"He was checking out my cousin when she came with us to the mall one day." Danny replied. "I never knew that a strawberry smoothie could turn a guy into three different shades of red."

Kate laughed as the doorbell rang.

"Who the hell is ringing my doorbell at this time of night?" Gibbs growled out as he headed for the door.

"YAY!!!!!!" Jay-Jay yelled from upstairs. "It's Tony and Timmy!!!"

Kate exchanged a look with Danny before she put the dishtowel and salad tongs on the counter and headed into the hallway to see who was at the door.

Sure enough, it was Tony and Timmy. Kate groaned. Those two turd-heads had plotted with Jay-Jay to come meet/interrogate Danny.

Kate took one look at the two men in the doorway and said, "Magnum and Thom. Watch it, boys. Watch it."

Both men visibly gulped.

"I told you this was a bad idea." McGee hissed at Tony. "A very, very bad idea."

"Relax, Probie." Tony said. "Kate you remember that year you were the Princess Ballerina Army Ninja for Halloween?"

"Don't even think about it." Kate growled out. "If you do, I'm going to play off of your vampire phobia. Don't tempt me."

Tony nodded slowly and knew that a pissed off Kate Gibbs was someone you didn't want to mess with. Ever.

~xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx~

AN/ So I just found out that Anacostia is a neighborhood in DC, not a town in Virginia. So, for my now embarrassed sake, Anacostia is now a wealthy town in Virginia like three over from Arlington. Just cuz I can. :) Reviews please! Don't forget about my goal! If you guys want to see past chapter 28, I'm gonna need some more reviews!


	23. Nightmares and Love Bugs

Alright, so I got this idea after I saw the Lovely Bones last night with my friend Jenn. I came home hugged both of my parents and told them how much I loved them, broke down and started crying. Really, really hard. For those of you who don't know, The Lovely Bones is a novel by Alice Seabold, now a movie, about a fourteen year old girl who was raped and murdered by her neighbor. The book didn't bother me, but the movie did. Instead of imagining the faces and names f the people, I had actual faces and people to connect the anguish to, and I balled my eyes out like a baby at points throughout the movie. But other than the tear jerking parts, it was a good movie.

But the point is, how would Kate react to this movie? Let's find out, shall we?

In this chapter, Kate is 18 and at home for her Christmas/Winter break from her freshman year in college.

DISCLAIMER (cuz i forget to put one in...) I don't own The Lovely Bones (i own a paperback copy of the book though!) NCIS or The Love Bug (I do have SWAK on my iPod, and the four Herbie Sepcial Edition DVD box set. I love Herbie 3). They sre owned by Alice Seabold, CBS and Disney respectively. I own Kate and Jay-Jay. If you should wish to borrow them, just ask me and you can play as long as I get my credit for creating them. That is all.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**January 16, 2010**

Kate Gibbs sat in the dark theater with her hands wrapped around her extra-large Coke and her mouth wide open as the tears welled up in her eyes.

Tony, Abby, Tim, and Ziva had talked Kate and Jenny into coming to see The Lovely Bones with them for the Saturday night movie. It had been Ziva's turn to pick the movie, and she had figured it would be a cut little movie about heaven and a girl that looked out after her family from beyond the grave. Uh, no. It was about Susie Salmon, like the fish, a fourteen year old girl who had been murdered by her neighbor.

Kate had read the book for summer reading her sophomore year in high school, liked the book, and was hoping the movie would be spectacularly amazing. The special effects were, the actress that played Susie was great, and so was the rest of the cast. Every time Mr. Salmon went into a frenzy over finding Susie, Kate started to cry again. The dam burst once Susie began naming the other victims, and Tony pulled her into a one arm hug in the darkness. This wasn't his idea of a movie to relax to after a long week of work and a heavy case load, and on top of that was his father's unannounced visit from New York.

Jenny glared at Ziva in the darkness in the theater, and the former Mossad Assassin squirmed under the gaze. She knew that she had chosen the wrong movie after all.

Abby had her eyes squished shut firmly and McGee's hand trapped in her vice like grip. "Is it safe to look, McGee?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Tim said. "The safe's gone."

"That bâtard." Ziva whispered. "I wish to kill him with my bare hands."

"I'm in for chasing him down with your Sig." Kate said as the woman in front of them "Shushed" them.

The six stuck out their tongues and turned back to the movie. Tony passed Kate the big bag of pop corn and she began to mow down as the movie drew closer and closer to the end.

As the group filed out of the theater, Ziva fell back and gave Kate a hug.

"I apologize for choosing a movie that has visibly upset you." Ziva told Kate with a sad smile. "If you wish to publicly humiliate me on facebook, I think I deserve it."

Kate laughed. "It's not me you gotta be afraid of."

Ziva's face fell. "Gibbs. Shit."

"Oh, yeah." Kate said. "Mom looks like she's two seconds away from whipping out her cell phone to call him and tell him."

Ziva groaned.

"Hope you like cold cases." Kate said. "But it's not your fault, Zee."

Ziva looked at Kate. "How so?"

"Misadvertisement to half distracted Israeli Super Secret Ninjas." Kate replied. "Give that to Dad as your defense and see what happens."

Ziva and Kate laughed causing McGee, Abby, Jenny, and Tony to turn around to see what the stragglers were laughing at.

"Care to share?" Jenny asked.

"Super Secret Israeli Ninja's and their Super Secret American Ninja Apprentices aren't allowed to tell you." Kate replied with a smile as she snaked her arm through Ziva's. "If we did…"

"We'd have to kill you with a paperclip." Ziva finished.

Tony shuddered. "They would too."

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate woke up and slew into a sitting position in her bed. She looked to the alarm clock on her night stand and saw it was two AM. This was the third night mare she'd woken herself up from that night. This time it was her instead of Susie that had been killed. Kicking the tangled blankets off of herself, Kate climbed out of her double bed, pulled on a sweat shirt and her purple fuzzy monster feet slippers before she ventured down the hall to her parents room.

Kate carefully poked her head into their room and saw that her Mom was fast asleep in bed, sprawled out all over the place, but Jethro was missing. Kate rolled her eyes and went down to the basement where he had set up shop for his wood working stuff.

"What are you doing up at this time of night?" Jethro asked his daughter as she descended the stairs to his sanctuary.

"Nightmares from the movie," Kate replied. "I couldn't get back to sleep after this last one."

"That bad…" Jethro paused. "Damn. I remember what that book was about now."

Kate nodded as she felt the tears welling up in her eyes again. "It made me realize how much I love you guys and how much pain loosing Kelly put you through… and…" Kate was cut off as Jethro crossed the basement and pulled his baby girl into a hug as they sank down on to the stairs.

"Shh." Jethro said. "It's okay, Princess. I've got you. Nothing is going to happen to you tonight, okay?"

Kate nodded as she clung to her father. "I felt so bad for the Dad, and then I remembered Kelly and I just lost it and Tony was holding my hand and Ziva felt awful and McGee gave me some tissues, and Abby bought me a large Coke cuz they didn't have CafPow!, and Mom looked like she wanted to kill people."

Jethro laughed. "Well your mother does generally look like that when she's mad."

Kate smiled as she picked her head up off of her father's shoulder. "But I think this was the first time it was directed at somebody she's never even seen…"

"Who earned the look this time?" Jethro asked.

"Mr. Harvey." Kate replied. "He's the creepy neighbor guy…"

Jethro nodded. "I've got an idea."

"What?" Kate asked.

"You can't sleep, I' m all jittery from the four cups of coffee I had around nine, so why don't we go upstairs and watch a movie."

"Okay." Kate said as she went back the stairs.

"Make it a happy movie, Kate!" Jethro called after her retreating back.

"How about _Blazing Saddles_?" Kate called back.

Jethro sighed as he thought about the Mel Brooks comedy that Tony had introduced them to years ago. Sure it was mind numbing comedy, but there were a few scenes that had Jethro double guessing why he had let Tony show it to a fourteen year old Kate in the first place.

Jethro sighed as he rolled up his blueprints, turned off the desk lamp, climbed the stairs and shut off the rest of the lights in the basement.

By the time he finished farting around in the kitchen with two bags of popcorn and water bottles, he found Kate hooking the old VCR to the TV and unplugging the DVD player.

"I thought we were watching _Blazing Saddles_." Jethro said as Kate tested her handy work by switching the TV's input. They had _Blazing Saddles, History of the World Part One, Space Balls, and Young Frankenstein_ on DVD.

"I changed my mind." Kate said as she opened a video cassette box. "I decided on the Love Bug instead. It's a Disney movie, so nobody dies, no swearing, and a happy ending I've seen a million and a half times. No nightmares from this movie."

Jethro chuckled as he settled onto the couch and Kate flopped down on the cushion next to him and hit PLAY.

As the movie started Kate looked over at her father as he winced as each car flipped, crashed or got banged around.

"Let me guess," Kate said with a laugh, "the inner car junkie in you is wincing because of the damage these cars are sustaining."

Jethro nodded. "Your Grampy Gibbs was a sight to see the first time he saw the intro to this movie."

Kate sighed. "Men and their cars."

Jethro laughed and they both fell silent other than the munching of popcorn and the occasional comment about Peter Thorndike.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

When Jenny made her way downstairs the next morning to start her morning routine, breakfast and the morning paper, a half hour on the treadmill in the finished portion of the basement, a shower, and then devoting an hour and a half to getting Jay-Jay ready for the day.

Jenny found Jethro and Kate curled up around each other, pop corn all over the floor from the spilled bags, fast asleep in front of the now blue screened TV.

"Mama!" Jay-Jay said as he climbed down the stairs "Why Daddy and Kate down hewe?"

"I think Kate had a night mare or two last night, Jay-Jay." Jenny said as she scooped up her early riser. "Let's leave them alone for now."

"Otay." Jay-Jay replied as he squirmed to look back at his father and sister as he was carried to the kitchen. "Mommy, why's there pop corn in the libing room? We no apposed to have food in dere."

Jenny laughed. Trust her and Jethro's son to find the rule that's been broken and point it out to everyone.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Reviews Please! As I'm typing this we're at 121 reviews. I need to see more than 150 if you want to see past chapter 28! Which you know will eventually include the big stuff, like Jenny and Gibbs' wedding, Kate's wedding, Kate getting her license, Kate graduating, Kate becoming a Grandma, the list just goes on and on and on. But you get the point. Reviews!


	24. THanksgiving 1996

So here by request (actually meherm reminded me about this chapter), is Thanksgiving 1996 with Callen being forced to come spend time with the Gibbs family by the orders of her Royal Highness, Princess Caitlin Erica Louisa Alberta Elizabeth Victoria Gibbs. The name will be explained later, it's curtsey of Mrs. Ducky.

Lol. I just realized Kate and I have grandfathers with the same name… Except we call mine Grandpa Jack instead of Grampy. And his name isn't Jackson, just Jack. But we still both have Grandpa Jack! (Who doesn't own a computer but I'm saying this anyways, I Love You Grandpa!!!!)

And I only own Kate in this story at this stage. Nobody else. "Court is adjourned! Send in the Dancing Lobsters!" (Virtual Cookies to anybody who gets that quote!)

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Five year old Kate Gibbs sat in the living room of her house in Arlington, Virginia as she watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the TV as her Daddy and Grampy Jack argued about the turkey in the kitchen. Sitting on the couch looking nervous and out of place was G Callen, Kate's newest best friend slash pseudo brother. He just didn't know it yet.

"I like Elmo." Kate told Callen as the Elmo balloon made its way down the streets of New York. "He's my favoritest monster on Seasie Street."

"Really?" Callen asked as Kate scrambled up onto the couch to sit next to Callen. "Why's that?"

"He's red." Kate said like it was obvious. "He's Elmo."

Callen smiled and tickled the little girl next to him and he was struck with a memory of his former foster sister Alina, and how they used to play together.

"Yous making thinkin' eyes." Kate informed Callen as he was prodded from his musings by the five year old's cold fingers.

"Thinking eyes?" Callen asked confusedly.

"Ah huh." Kate said. "Daddy makes 'em when he tells me stories about Big Sister Kelly and Mommy Shannon."

Callen nodded. "Are thinking eyes a bad thing?"

"No." Kate said as she played with the hem on her pretty pink Princess dress Mrs. Ducky had bought her. It was a pink dress that Mrs. Mallard had seen at JC Penny and just _had_ to buy it for Kate. Of course the woman had added lots and lots of sparkles, some glitter and s patch of sequence in the shape of a tiara on the front of the dress. Of course a nice big thick satin pink ribbon headband accompanied the dress keeping Kate's curls out of her face. It was painfully obvious to everybody that Mrs. Mallard wanted a little girl of her own to spoil rotten. She was still telling Ducky to get a move on it and start a family before she died. "Thinkin' eyes are a good thing cuz thewe are funny stories that go with thinkin' eyes."

Callen laughed. "Well, Princess Kate,"

"It's Princess Caitlin Erica Louisa Alberta Elizabeth Victoria Emmanuella Maria Hermione Ginerva Gibbs." Kate told Callen. "You gots to say my whole name or I won't answer you."

Callen's jaw had dropped as the little girl rattled off her Princess name that she and Mrs. Ducky had come up with the day before. "Well, Princess you certainly have a lot of names."

Kate narrowed her eyes at Callen and turned back to the TV. "You're sneaky, Callen." She informed the DEA agent. Callen was in the process of joining NCIS from the DEA. "Are you any good at playin' jokes?"

Callen's smile stretched from ear to ear. "Who we playing jokes on?"

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Later that afternoon as Jethro finished carving up the turkey, Jackson grunted as he tried to open a jar. "Leroy, give me a hand with this?"

"What is it, Dad?" Jethro asked as the jar was handed to him.

"I don't know." Jackson said. "It was in the group of jars for dinner."

"Hhmm." Jethro said as he tried to twist the lid off. "Did you try twisting it in the other direction…? WHAT THE HELL?!?!?" As Jethro got the lid off of the jar, the spring loaded snakes exploded all over the kitchen and Jethro and Jackson.

"DADDY SAID A BAD WORD!!!!" Kate shrieked in shock. "Did you hear him, Callen? He said a really bad word."

"I heard him, Princess Caitlin Erica Louisa Alberta Elizabeth Victoria Emmanuella Maria Hermione Ginerva Gibbs." Callen replied with a guilty smirk on his face. "I think that's a dollar in your new Bad Word Box."

Kate beamed. "I think I'm gonna get lots of dobbers when Uncle Mikey's here."

The three adults laughed; Mike's sailor's mouth was infamous around NCIS and the Gibbs family. When Uncle Mikey came for a visit, Kate got to bring Daddy's old TV and the VCR up to her room and watch all the Disney Princess movies she wanted. Within ten minutes of Mikes arrival, however, Kate would be downstairs pouting and asking for various other movies such as Herbie Rides Again, Bed Knobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, and Yours, Mine, and Ours. With those movies secured in her little arms Kate would march right back up the stairs yelling in a sing song voice "UNCLE MIKEY'S HERE!!! I HAVE TO GO UPSTAIRS SO I DON'T HEAR NO NAUGHTY WORDS!!"

"Alright you two." Jethro said with a chuckle. "You got us, go wash up. It's time to eat."

Kate nodded and regally skipped down the hallway to the bathroom to wash her hands with soap and kinda hot water while she sang 'Happy Birthday' twice. Nurse Emily had come to her pre-school room and told all the boys and girls how to wash their hands when school started in September.

Callen laughed as he watched the little girl sing 'Happy Birthday' as she washed her hands and he stood behind her and squirted the soap out of the dispenser for himself.

"Why are you singing 'Happy Birthday'?" Callen asked Kate.

"Cuz you're apposed to wash your hands for as long as it take you to sing Happy Birthday two times." Kate explained. "And now I gots to start all over again!"

Callen laughed. "Well you already washed your hands for one 'Happy Birthday', right?"

Kate nodded the affirmative.

"So you and I can wash our hands together for another 'Happy Birthday' and then I'll do a 'Happy Birthday' on my own." Callen said. "How's that sound?"

Kate's frown was turned upside down into a full blown smile that blinded Callen with her little Chiclets shaped white teeth. "Okay." She said happily.

"Ready?" Callen asked, "One, two, three, Happy Birthday…"

"To you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Callen," "Kate," "Happy Birthday to you!" They sang in unison.

"How's that?" Callen asked Kate as he handed her the hand towel.

"Good." Kate said with a smile. "Now you."

Callen laughed as Kate sang to him and once he was done, he dried his hands, and scooped Kate up. "Let's go eat before your Dad has to come look for us."

"He your Daddy, too." Kate told Callen. "Daddy says you gots no Mommy or Daddy, so I tolded him that you're my big bwother and that Daddy is my Daddy and your Daddy."

Callen smiled and hugged the five year old even tighter. "Thanks, Katie."

Kate glared at Callen for a split second at the nickname and her glare turned into a full fledged smile. "That can be your special name for me."

"Katie?" Callen asked confused.

"Ah huh." Kate replied. "Nobody else gets to call me that if I'm not a crying or sick."

Callen smiled again. Kate's innocence was what he needed after his last case and his subsequent decision to transfer to NCIS. "Do I get a special name?" he asked.

Kate hesitated because they had reached the dining room that was in the awkward open space between the kitchen and the living room. "After dinner." She informed Callen. "Mrs. Ducky always has the best names."

Callen nodded. "Okay, I guess it's up to Mrs. Ducky."

"What's up to Mrs. Mallard?" Jethro asked as Kate slid down to the floor and climbed into her chair.

"Nuthin' Daddy." Kate said dropping the subject faster than a hot potato. At five, the little girl had learned how to change the subject quickly from the best, Mike Franks. Whenever Kate came downstairs for her movies, it was guaranteed he was discussing case related things that weren't for little ears.

Jethro looked at Callen and the younger man had the gall to smile innocently at Jethro. "Nothing to worry about," he paused and his innocent smile transformed into a devilish smirk. "Dad."

Jethro looked from his daughter to his father and to Callen. It seemed they'd been planning this without him. "Well then, son, sit down so we can say Grace and eat."

Callen nodded and sat down next to Kate.

Jethro looked at his father and Jackson sighed. "What are you looking at me for, Leroy? This is your home. You say Grace."

Jethro nodded as he bowed his head. Jackson and Callen followed suit, and Kate did as well with a little nudge from Callen.

"Bless us O Lord for these bountiful gifts we are about to receive and bless our friends and family who couldn't be with us today for reasons of their own. And bless our newest family member, G Callen, whom my daughter has adopted on her own. Amen."

The others echoed with an "Amen" of their own and Kate's hand shot out like a bullet in front of her and wrapped her pudgy little baby fingers around two rolls, one for her and one for her new 'bwother'.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Around eight PM, hours after dinner had ended, dishes had been cleaned and put away, and dessert had been served, Kate was curled up on Callen's lap over her Daddy's struggling to watch The Aristocats with her belly as full as it could get, and her eyelids felt like they were made of something heavy, '_Like lead,_' Kate thought as she yawned. '_At least I think that's what Abby says._'

"I think it's time for somebody to go to bed." Jethro said as he watched as Kate's eyes were closing and then fluttering back open. The girl pouted in protest.

"I'm not sleepy, Daddy." She whined as she clung to the front of Callen's shirt. "I wanna stay up and see Duchess and the kitties make it home."

Jethro chuckled. "You've seen this movie a million times, Kate."

Kate pouted. "I wanna stay with Callen."

"I'm not going anywhere tonight." Callen told Kate with a smile. "I'm sleeping right here in the living room, on the couch."

Kate pouted again as she was handed off to her father and carried upstairs to get ready for bed. "I want Callen to read me my story." She informed her father as they reached the stairs.

"That's up to him, Princess." Jethro told Kate. "After we get you in your jammies you can ask him. Remember to say 'please'."

Kate nodded and laid her head on her father's shoulder. "Can I wear my Barbie nightgown?"

"Which one?" Jethro asked. Kate never failed to find the Barbie pajamas that came with a matching nightdress/pair for your Barbie doll.

"The purple one with the pony." Kate said.

"Baby Doll, that's a summer nightgown." Jethro said. "It's winter time."

Kate huffed. "The skiing one?"

"That's fine." Jethro said. He was glad Kate didn't have the energy to argue about her nightgown.

After Kate had put on her jammies, brushed her teeth, and selected the stuffed animals that she was taking to bed that night, Kate was carried back down the stairs to the living room to ask Callen to read to her.

Callen smiled as he noticed Teddy the Cocker Spaniel was held firmly in Kate's grasp along with her Betty doll, Elmo, and Barney.

"Callen," Kate said sweetly as Jethro pulled her hair up into pig tails. "Will you read me my story tonight, please?"

Callen smiled. "Sure. What story?"

Kate smiled a 100 mega-watt smile and tugged Callen up the stairs and to the book shelf in her room. It was mint green and the size of a small dresser. On the second shelf Kate pulled out a dog earned and well loved copy of E.B. White's _Charlotte's Web_. "It's about a piggy named Wilbur and a girl named Fern and their friends on a farm." Kate told Callen. "Daddy says we stopped at the beginin' of chapter three."

Callen took the book and flipped it open to the bookmark; sure enough it was at chapter three. "Alright then, Katie, it's time for you to get into bed so I can read this to you."

Kate quickly scrambled into her bad and pulled the blankets up to her chin and snuggled down with her stuffed animals as she patiently waited for Callen to pull the rocking chair in the corner over to her bed.

"Ready?" Callen asked as he sat down in the rocking chair.

Kate nodded and wiggled around in her bed. "Uh-huh."

"Okay." Callen said as he opened the book. "Chapter Three, Escape. The Barn was very large. It was very old. It smelled of hay and it smelled of manure…"

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Jethro looked up at the clock and saw it was nine thirty and Callen still hadn't come back downstairs. Jethro sighed and stood up from the game of Scrabble he and his father were playing. "I'm going to go see what's keeping Callen."

"Kate probably made him read the whole book." Jackson said with a laugh. "I wouldn't put it past that little girl. She's smart as a tack, just like her father."

Jethro smiled and shook his head 'no'. "Nah. She's too much like her mother."

"I'm telling you, Leroy, that little girl upstairs is just like you were as a child at times."

Jethro chuckled as he climbed the stairs, skipping every third step. He poked his head into Kate's room and smiled. He turned around and headed back down the stairs to grab his camera.

"Dad, you've got to see this." Jethro said as he put a new roll of film into his camera. "It's priceless."

Jackson followed his son back up to Kate's room and smiled at the scene in front of them.

Kate had crawled out of bed and into Callen's lap to look at the pictures in the book. Somewhere in the middle of Chapter Four the duo had fallen asleep and the book had fallen to the floor. Callen's arms were wrapped around Kate to keep her from falling off of his lap, and Kate face was pressed against Callen's chest and his shirt was held firmly in her grasp.

Jethro took a few pictures from different angles before he looked from Callen, to Kate's bed and back to Callen. "They'll fit." He said to his father. "Help me move them to the bed."

"Are you sure?" Jack asked as he approached the sleeping man and his granddaughter. "He looks a little too big to be carried."

"It's two feet, Dad." Jethro said to his father and they somehow managed to move Callen and Kate to Kate bed, tuck the two of them in and take more pictures without waking them up.

Jethro turned out the light and shut the door. As he did this, Kate thumb found its way into her mouth, and he turned to take one last picture he couldn't wait to develop.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Reviews please!

AN: I don't own _Charlotte's Web_ or Barbie or Scrabble. I just borrowed them to use in this chapter. Well actually I own a copy of _Charlotte's Web_, I used to have Barbies but my move gave them to my younger cousins :'(, and I do own a copy of Scrabble. I'm not making a profit by dropping names is what I'm saying. I don't own the Macy's parade either. Or Disney. There. My disclaimer is done, even if it's at the end!


	25. Disney World

So I got the idea from a Matchbox Twenty song. Why, I don't know, but I was like, Kate needs to go to Disney World! Who shall go with her? And this little gem was born :) Enjoy! (PS remember my 150 reviews if you wanna see past chapter 28!)

This is going to be hilarious, I hope. I mean come on, Gibbs, Jenny, Kate, Abby, and Callen let loose on Disney World? Let us see how this ends…. *Cackles Evilly* Cough, Cough "Eh, Fur ball". (I can't remember where I got this from! It was a cat laughing evilly and then it coughed up a fur ball and kept laughing like a mad genius. Anybody remember what movie or show that was?)

But anyways, I want more than 150 reviews to keep going! This is chapter 25…

PS. I don't own Walt Disney World or any of its rides or attractions. So don't sue me for 'em. Thank you.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"Daddy!" Kate whined as she bounced on the edge of her parent's bed in the rental cabin at Fort Wilderness Camping Resort in Walt Disney World. "Wake up. We're gonna miss the ferry!"

Leroy Jethro Gibbs groaned as he woke up and glanced at the alarm clock on the night stand and looked at his seven year old daughter. "Kate, it's six thirty in the morning. Go back to bed."

"But we're gonna miss the ferry!" Kate whined. "You told Ducky we'd meet him and Abby and Callen and Mrs. Ducky at seven at the trading post and the ferry leaves at seven thirty."

Jethro's new wife, the former Jenny Sheppard, rubbed her eyes and looked at her now pouting stepdaughter. "What's wrong, Sweetie?"

"Daddy isn't getting up. We're gonna miss the ferry." Kate repeated.

"What time is it, Jethro?" Jenny asked groggily.

"Six thirty." Jethro said.

"WHAT?" Jenny squawked. "Get up, we're gonna be late!" Jenny threw the covers off and scrambled around to get her clothes for the day.

"Did I miss something last night when we checked in?" Jethro asked as he got out of bed as Jenny slammed the door to the bathroom so she could shower.

Kate nodded with a smile. "We're meeting up with everybody to get breakfast before we get on the ferry. Duh." Kate said and she skipped off to her room to get dressed herself.

Jethro was left standing in the middle of the room in his pajamas scratching his head wondering when that conversation had taken place. He just shrugged and headed to the kitchenette to make his coffee.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate sat on the bed in Jenny and Jethro's room as Jethro separated her hair and began braiding her hair in twin French braids. "Daddy, how come you got married again?" Kate asked.

Jethro sighed. He'd explained this to Kate several times already, both before and after the wedding. "Well, you see Auntie Jenny I and really, really love each other. And when people love each other as much as me and Auntie Jenny love each other, they get married if they're old enough."

"If Mommy was still here, would you have married Auntie Jenny?" Kate asked.

"No, Princess." Jethro replied as he finished up the first braid and wrapped the hair elastic around the edges of her darkening blond hair. "If you're Mommy Shannon was still here, she and I would still be married."

"But she's not here." Kate said. "So you married Auntie Jenny instead."

"That's right." Jethro said.

"Can I call Auntie Jenny, 'Mama'?" Kate asked as Jethro finished the second braid.

Jethro smiled. It seemed that Kate had warmed up to the idea of her having a new mother after all. "You have to ask her that yourself, Princess."

"Okay." Kate said as she turned around to face her Dad. "I love you, Daddy." She gave her father a quick hug and skipped out of the room to wait for the adults to gather up their gear for the day.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate sat at the table in the Trails End Canteen devouring her cinnamon sticky bun as the rest of the 'family' arrived for breakfast.

"Which park are we going to today, Princess?" Jethro asked Kate as he laid out a map for each park.

Kate bit her lip and looked between the three maps Jethro had placed out. Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, or MGM, excuse me, Disney Studios? It was a hard decision.

"What about the animal one?" she asked curiously.

"It hasn't opened yet." Jenny told Kate.

"Oh." Kate replied as she opened up the Magic Kingdom map. "I wanna meet Cinderella." She informed the adults.

"Magic Kingdom it is, then." Callen said with a smile. "We are so going on the three mountains!"

"The three mountains?" Kate asked curiously.

"You know!" Callen said with his hands waving everywhere. "Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountains and Space Mountain. The three mountains."

"Yeah!" Kate said excitedly. "Can we Daddy, can we?"

Jethro growled and slapped the back of Callen's head.

"Sorry, Boss." Callen replied automatically as he rubbed the stinging spot on the back of his head.

"Not your 'Boss', Callen." Jethro replied as he nursed his coffee.

"Right, sorry Dad." Callen said correcting himself. "What's with the wakeup call on vacation?"

"You're going to be in charge of that Rugrat if she wants to sit out on those rides, Callen." Jethro said with an evil smirk.

"But Daaaaad." Callen whined in a perfect imitation of Kate. Kate kicked him underneath the table and stuck out her tongue. "Hey! That hurts, Brat!"

Kate stuck her tongue out for a second time. "Serves you right." She said sweetly.

Abby laughed and fiddled with the abandoned MGM map. "So Gibbs, what's on the agenda for today?"

Jethro looked over at Kate, "What's our plan today, Kate?"

"Meet Cinderella, ride the Mountains Callen wants to ride, and then we go tackle the bestest ride ever."

"What's that?" Abby asked excitedly.

"The Tea Cups!" Kate cried happily.

Jethro groaned. Spinning tea cups did not mix well with his stomach. "I'm sitting that one out."

Kate stuck out her tongue as their waitress, Ali, delivered the check and told Jethro to pay at the counter.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

From Kate's vantage point on top of Callen's shoulders the lake that would bring them to The Magic Kingdom was massive. It wasn't as big as the ocean, but it was one of the biggest lakes Kate had ever seen. She slumped over with her chin resting on the top of Callen's skull as they waited to board the ferry with the other resort guests.

"Daaaaaaaddy." Kate whined. "When do we get to go on the ferry?"

Jethro turned around from the conversation he was having with Abby and Jenny on what rides Kate shouldn't go on yet (The Tower of Terror was up for debate at the moment), and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you whining in Disney World?" Jethro asked with mock horror. "That's not allowed here."

"But I wanna go see Cinderella and Snow White and Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine and Mickey and Minnie, and Donald, and Goofy, and everybody." Kate said.

Callen laughed and swung his and Kate's arms back and forth. "You'll get to see them really soon, Katie."

Kate huffed and giggled as Abby began to tickle her.

"You're such wonderful parents." A woman behind Callen said and Callen turned to face the woman and her own brood.

"Me and Abby?" Callen asked her.

"Why, yes." The woman said as her own children were flinging pebbles off the dock at the ducks on the other side of the pier.

"Oh we're not…" Abby said.

"I'm her step-brother…" Callen started.

"Daddy and Auntie Jenny got married and it was my birthday last week so we came to Disney to celebrate both." Kate said with a smile. "Callen got to come 'cuz he told his boss that his Daddy and Auntie Jenny were getting married and we were coming on vacation together."

Abby giggled and Kate battered away the Goth's 'tickle fingers'. "Abby! No!"

The woman looked taken aback. "Oh, I'm sorry I heard her say 'Daddy' and I just assumed."

"Ehh. Don't worry about it." Callen said. "It happens all the time when it's just the two of us."

"Can I have a pony holder, Abby?" Kate asked sweetly as Callen the woman launched into a conversation about mistaken parents and siblings.

"What for?" Abby asked as she pulled an extra elastic off of her wrist to hand to Kate. "Do you need me to re-braid your hair?"

Kate shook her head 'no' and raised an index finger to her lip in the universal signal for 'Shhhh! It's a secret.'

Abby surrendered the elastic and Kate managed to wiggle her other hand out of Callen's and he just moved his hands to Kate's knees to keep her from falling off of his shoulders. Kate quickly went to work on Callen's _slightly _longer than regulation hair cut and had gathered enough hair to give him a Pebbles Flinstone-esque pony tail.

"All done." Kate said happily.

Abby snorted, Jenny laughed out loud and Jethro had the grin of a cat that ate the canary on his face.

"What?" Callen asked.

"Your…your… HAIR!" Abby gasped out as she pulled out a mirror from her Jack Skellington backpack and handed it to Callen.

"Kate!" Callen said as he took in his new 'do. "Why?"

"Cuz I'm bored." Kate said with a pout. "And Daddy says if you can put a boy's hair in a pony he needs a haircut."

Callen chuckled as he lifted Kate off of his shoulders and set her down on the pier. "I guess I do need a haircut, Squirt."

Kate giggled and attached herself to Callen's legs. G felt a twinge of guilt because he didn't spend as much time as he would have liked with Kate. He felt bad because of the plans they had to cancel because he caught a big case that required him to go undercover and break off contact with his family. But every time he came back from a case like that, the first thing he did was take Kate to whatever movie she wanted, take her to the bookstore and let her pick out five or six books, and then to get double fudge brownie ice cream. Kate had him wrapped around her little finger and he knew. She didn't, at least not yet anyways, and Callen loved to spoil her rotten as often as possible.

"You've got you're Thinking Eyes out again." Kate said in a sing song tone looking up into Callen's eyes. "Whatcha thinking about?"

Callen smiled and picked Kate up so that she was on his hip. He knew that she was seven and could walk just fine, but he still wanted to carry her around. "I'm thinking about what we do when I come back from work."

Kate beamed. "Movies and books and ice cream."

"That's right." Callen said.

Abby shook her head. "Man, you guys are weird."

Callen and Kate both leaned to the right to look at Abby on the other side of Jethro.

"Look who's talking, Wednesday." Callen said with a smile.

"Can it, Pugsly." Abby retorted as the door to the ferry slid open and the engine roared to life.

"Abby, Callen." Jethro said in a warning tone. "Knock it off."

"Sorry, Dad." They replied in unison much to Jenny and Jethro's amusement.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate tugged Callen and Abby off of the ferry boat and through the line to the bag check counters before the entrance to the park. "Come on!" Kate said happily, "I wanna go in!"

"Whoa, there little lady." Callen said with a laugh. "Do you think we might have forgotten somebody?"

Kate stopped and turned around. "Oopsy. I forgot Daddy and Auntie Jenny."

Jethro and Jenny caught up to the overly excited seven year old as she danced in place to the Disney songs that were being played as they waited for the gates to be opened to allow them into the Magic Kingdom.

"Is this her first time to the park?" A cast member asked as she checked Abby's bag.

"Oh yeah." Jethro said with a smile.

"It's my birthday present." Kate informed the matronly woman as Abby got her bag back and Jenny put hers on the counter. "And Daddy and Auntie Jenny's wedding vacation."

"Congratulations." The woman said with a smile and handed Jenny her tote bag back. "Enjoy your time with us."

"Thank you." Jenny said as she took Kate's hand and they joined the throng of people outside the gate.

"Can we go in yet?" Kate asked as she tried to stand on her tippy toes to see over the grownups. It didn't work.

"Not yet," Callen said. "It's not eight yet."

"What time is it?" Kate asked.

"Five of." Jethro said to the anxious girl.

"Ok." Kate said and she slid her hand out of Jenny's and attached herself to Callen again. "Pick me up, please?"

"Sure." Callen said and Kate scrambled onto his back for a piggy back ride.

"WEEEEE!!" Kate exclaimed as Callen spun around in a circle making Kate and himself dizzy in the process.

"Did you…" Jethro started to ask but saw that his new wife had already whipped out the camera and was taking pictures like a madwoman.

"What was that, Jethro?" Jenny asked with a smirk as she documented Kate, Callen and Abby's first trip to Disney World together. "I'm a little preoccupied being a paparazzi wanna-be."

Jethro laughed and noticed the crowd surged forward. It was eight o'clock and times to enter the Magic Kingdom.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate giggled as she and Callen waited at the little Mouse Ear kiosk as the woman embroidered Kate's name onto the Mouseketeer Ears. Callen was already wearing his, as was Abby. Jethro and Jenny had been talked into buying the bride and groom Minnie and Mickey hats by Kate.

"M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!" Kate sang with Callen and Abby. "Mickey Mouse!"

"Donald Duck!" Jethro chimed in with is Donald impression triggering another peal of giggles from Kate.

"Daddy!" Kate said with a smile as Jethro paid for the three Ears and Jenny helped Kate secure them on her head. "Can we go on the carousel in Tomorrowland?"

"The Carousel of Progress?" Jethro said looking at Kate.

She nodded and her braids bounced against her back. "Please? Mama says it's fun and air conditioned. It's hot out."

Kate was right, it was hot out. It was currently 92 degrees F. In their little group Abby was cranky, Callen was a little sweaty, Jenny was fine, Kate was too excited to let the heat and humidity bother her, and Jethro was feeling a little lethargic.

"The Carousel of Progress it is then." Jethro said as he herded his family off in the direction of Tomorrowland.

Kate held her father's hand and was chatting away with another little girl in line for the indoor moving theater as her parents spoke behind her. She was oblivious to the fact that her calling Jenny 'Mama' earlier was the topic of discussion.

"Did you hear her earlier, Jethro?" Jenny asked excitedly. "She called me 'Mama'." The grin on Jenny's face was contagious and Jethro felt himself smiling as well.

"I heard her." Jethro said as he gave Jenny a one armed hug. "She asked me if she could call you that this morning, and I told her to ask you first."

"I think she forgot." Jenny said with a smile. "But I'm perfectly okay with it. I'm just surprised it's so soon. We've only been married for a week and a half." The Gibbses had made the executive decision that they would go to Florida during April vacation, so they wouldn't interrupt Kate's school work.

"She adjusts pretty fast." Jethro said as Kate pulled her hand out of his to play Miss Mary Mack with the other little girl. "But to tell you the truth I've been half expecting her to tell me she doesn't want me to be married to you. She got this funny look on her face when we talked this morning when she mentioned Shannon."

Jenny smiled sadly. She knew that Jethro truly loved her, but a part of his heart would always belong to his deceased wife and older daughter. "What kind of funny look?"

"I think it was a mix between wanting to cry and be mad at somebody. It went away when I told her that Shan wouldn't mind because I miss her and love her. It placated Kate, and she asked if she could call you Mama." Jethro replied as the door to the theater opened and the people from the previous viewing left and they next group was let in.

"Well lookie what the cat dragged in." Jethro and Callen whipped their heads around at the familiar voice.

"PETEY!" Callen said joyfully and he and Colonel McSweeney embraced in a manly hug. "How've you been, man?"

"I've been good, Callen." Pete said as he took in the family in front of him and his wife. "And I take it that this is your little Princess, Jethro."

Kate smiled shyly up at the man who was looking at her and buried her face in Jethro's side. The adults laughed. "Yeah. This is Caitlin Erica."

"Kate for short." Callen added when Kate pulled her face away long enough to stick her tongue out at her father for using her whole name.

Pete laughed. "She's sure acting like Callen used to when he lived with us."

That caught Kate's attention. "Callen used to live with you?" she asked curiously.

Pete's wife Alaina nodded. "He sure did." She said with a smile on her face. "From the day after his seventeenth birthday right up until the day he went to basic training for the Corp."

"Did he break any rules?" Kate asked innocently.

Alaina exchanged a look with her husband and Callen before saying, "No, Callen was well behaved."

Callen had to hide his guffaw with a cough. He'd been a hell raiser at seventeen, and the McSweeneys had straightened him out.

"Well that's good." Kate said happily. "Daddy has rules for lots of stuff and you get in trouble if you don't follow them."

Jethro smiled and affectionately tugged on one of Kate's braids. "Brat."

Kate giggled and dragged Callen to the front of the line and into the theater.

"She's got him wrapped around her little finger." Pete observed. "Who'dve thought that Callen would be the one to let a seven year old walk all over him like this."

"Seven years ago I'd be thinking the same way." Jethro said as they filed in behind his very active children. Abby was already in the theater on the other side of a bouncy Kate. "But she's gotten him in touch with his kid side again and they're like two peas in a pod."

Pete nodded and his wife elbowed him. "Right, Gunny, this is my wife Alaina, Lainy, this is LJ Gibbs."

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Jethro said as he shook Mrs. McSweeney's hand.

"Call me Alaina, Mr. Gibbs." Alaina said pleasantly.

"It's Jethro." He said. "This is my new bride, Jenny. Jen, this is Pete McSweeney, he was my CO when I heard that Kate had been born."

"How do you do Colonel?" Jenny asked.

"I'm well, thanks for asking, Mrs. Gibbs." Pete replied.

"Jenny." She said automatically. "If it's not too rude to ask, but where are your children?"

"In line for Space Mountain." Pete said. "Our current group of foster kids are old enough to leave in a line alone for a half hour to forty five minutes."

Jethro nodded. "You guys are doing something nice by taking them to Disney."

Pete smiled. "They deserve it. The five of them have worked their tails off to stay in the top rankings of their classes and we decided to surprise them with the trip before we tell them that we're adopting them all."

Jethro whistled. "That's gonna be a pretty penny, Pete."

"I know Jethro, but it's going to be well worth it." The men fell silent as the lights dimmed and the show started.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

After the show ended, Jethro, Callen and Peter exchanged numbers in order to keep in contact so they didn't have to wait to run into each other somewhere to speak again.

Kate was a little cranky because it was after one in the afternoon and she hadn't had her morning snack or lunch yet. "Mama," she whined as they set off from Tomorrowland. "I'm hungry."

"I know, Sweetie." Jenny said as she sent a look at Jethro. They had dinner reservations at the Liberty Tree Tavern that night, but weren't sure what to do for lunch.

As they walked through Main Street and back into Frontier Land, Kate caught a whiff of the giant turkey legs and her eyes lit up. "Can we have turkey?" she asked her parents as she held onto her father's hand in the crowd. "Please?"

"Let's see how big those turkey legs…" Jethro said but trailed off as a couple walked by gnawing away on their own turkey legs.

"Those are huge!" Kate happily exclaimed as she saw the cart people were purchasing them from near The Country Bears show. "Can I get one? Please?"

"Are you going to finish it?" Jethro asked as he reached for his wallet.

"I'll try." Kate said honestly. "But I don't know if I can."

Jethro nodded. "You eat as much as you can eat, Princess and hand it to a grownup when you're finished."

"My grownups or another grownup?" Kate asked cheekily.

"Your grownups." Callen replied as he playfully tugged on Kate braids. Kate stuck her tongue out and put her thumbs in her ears and wiggled her fingers.

Callen laughed and started a round of 'I got your nose' with Kate.

Jethro chuckled and got into line and purchased two turkey legs and five bottles of water for everybody.

Kate accepted her turkey leg happily and bit into it, tearing out a giant chunk of meat and a few pieces fell into her lap and she winced. The meat was still hot from whatever it had been kept in. "Owww." Kate said as she picked up the fallen meat. "That hurted."

Jethro noticed the little red mark appearing on Kate thigh. "Kate, the turkey is very hot, so you have to be very careful."

Kate nodded as she ripped another chunk of meat of the leg.

Jenny pulled Jethro away from the group for a moment and whispered something in his ear. He smiled and nodded and approached Callen. "Do you think you and Abby can keep an eye on Kate for a little bit?"

"Yeah, sure." Callen said with a smile. "Why?"

"Jenn and I want to go through the Haunted Mansion, and well Kate doesn't like haunted houses." Jethro explained as his daughter babbled on with Abby with her mouth full of turkey.

"Go for it, Dad." Callen said with a smile. "We can meet up at the Swiss Family Robinson tree house in two hours. Abby and I'll take Kate on Pirates of the Caribbean and then head over to Small World."

Jethro nodded. "And keep the character meeting under control until we get back together, okay?"

Callen nodded. "But no promises if Kate sees Cinderella or Mickey."

The older man laughed fully knowing his daughter wouldn't wait if she saw her favorite characters. As it was, they had spent almost a half hour in line so Kate could get Launchpad McQuack's autograph and a picture with him. "Well, try to keep her under control if you can."

"Got it, Dad." Callen said. "Now go! Jenny's looking anxious over there!"

Jethro laughed, joined Jenny and they disappeared into the crowd.

"Where are Mom and Daddy going?" Kate asked curiously when Callen said down next to them on the stone wall.

"To go on a grown up ride." Callen said. "It's a haunted house." He hastily added when Kate's face fell.

"Okay." Kate said cheering up when he heard it wouldn't be a ride she'd want to miss. "Can we go see the pirates now?"

"Did you finish your turkey?" Callen asked her. He saw the half eaten leg, _'God, she must have been hungry!'_ he thought to himself, _'She ate almost all of that while Gibbs and I were talking!'_ and smiled. "I think we can to the pirates ride then."

"YAY!!!!" Kate said as she hopped off the wall and started a little dance. The people behind them enroute to Tom Sawyer's Island smiled and others laughed when they saw the exuberant seven year old dancing around up by the bridge.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate danced around the Swiss Family Tree house and sang "Yo ho ho a pirate's life for me!" as she explored the tree home with Callen and Abby.

"Why is it she's still singing the Pirates song even after we went through Small World twice?" Callen asked Abby.

"She's seven Callen." Abby said in a way of explanation. "She's fixated on pirates right now, not international singing and happy creepy animatronic puppets. When she sees You-Know-Who, all thoughts of blood lust-y pirates should disappear. I hope."

"You hope?" Callen said with a sigh as he caught sight of a giggling Jethro and Jenny making their way towards the tree house. "Why do you hope?"

"Because I don't think the Boss-man will like it if all she takes out of her Disney trip is a pirate song." Abby said. "And she's going to be singing that song for weeks to come. I guarantee it."

Callen nodded. "That's going to be a fun flight back to DC."

Abby smiled at Callen and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Oh, poor sweet, naïve Callen. That's why I brought my Walkman and CDs. Did you think you'd have to listen to them at the cabin?"

Callen nodded sheepishly.

Abby laughed. "No, Silly! It's for the plane when Kate reaches her 'Super Hyper Scary Happy Kate' mode."

This time it was Callen who laughed. "That's normally when I decide to watch the in-flight movie."

Kate stopped poking around in the tree house when she realized that Callen and Abby weren't paying attention to her any more. "You guys!" Kate said. "One of you is supposed to be watching me so nobody tries to take me no where I don't wanna go."

The two adults exchanged looks and smirks and charged at Kate. Callen scooped Kate up and Abby began mercilessly tickling the girl.

"Lemme go!" Kate shrieked happily. "Abby! Callen! That tickles!"

"Rawr!" Abby cried getting some strange looks from the other people in the tree house. "I'm the Tickle Monster out to get you, Kate Gibbs! Rawr!"

"DADDY!" Kate squealed when she saw her Dad and Mom heading towards them. "Save me from Abby the Tickle Monster!"

"Abby." Jethro said with a laugh. "Can you control the Tickle Monster until we get back to the cabins?"

"Yes sir, Agent Gibbs Sir!" Abby said with a salute, and as usual used the wrong hand.

Kate giggled as Callen set her back down on her feet and they headed for the exit.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Later that night Kate was falling asleep at their table at the Liberty Tree Tavern. She was exhausted. She'd been on over two dozen rides that day, met Launchpad, Cinderella, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, four of the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White, Piglet, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Daisy Ducky, and Chip and Dale had appeared at their table towards the beginning of their meal and played with Kate's braids for a few moments before being led off to the lobby of the restaurant.

Kate felt her eyes drooping but she willed them to stay open. She wanted to stay up to see the nightly fireworks show. But, the battle proved to be too much for the exhausted seven year old and she was out like a light in minutes.

"Jethro," Jenny said with a smile. "I think our little Princess has had too much fun today."

Jethro nodded. "She's gonna sleep like a log."

"Kate's gonna be upset that she missed the fireworks." Abby said as she looked at the little girl on her right. "I'll take pictures for her."

Callen chuckled. "Only you, Abby."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing, G?" Abby asked with a smile.

"Only the best." Callen replied with a smile as Jethro settled the bill.

"I'll carry her, Gibbs." Callen said as Jethro went to pick up Kate. The younger man switched between calling the elder 'Dad' and 'Gibbs' so often that many people got lost trying to follow a conversation between the two of them over the phone. In person it was easy to see that Callen acted like Gibbs was his father and Gibbs treated Callen like his own child.

"You sure, Callen?" Jethro asked. "You did an awful lot of that this morning."

"It's fine." Callen said with a lopsided grin as he scooped the sleeping girl up and settled her on his hip. "She's definitely lighter than some of the other people I've had to carry in the past."

"Whoa." Jenny said. "The road this conversation is heading off towards is closed indefinitely. We're in the Magic Kingdom! We are not having a 'When I was in the Marine Corp…' Pow Wow in the middle of a restaurant with a sleeping child being the basis of the conversation. Understood?"

Jethro and Callen both nodded sheepishly. It wasn't that Jenny didn't like to hear their stories about their Marine days; this was neither the time nor place for Callen to launch into one.

"Yes, Ma'am." Both men chorused and they weaved their way through the crowds on the sidewalks as the light how parade began.

Twenty minutes later, the Gibbs family was on the ferry heading back to Fort Wilderness. They had secured seats on the bow, outside so they could hear themselves talk and be away from the body heat in the cabin.

Kate snuggled in closer to Callen's body in her sleep as the wind whipped around her and Jenny took out her camera, again, to capture the moment between the pseudo siblings.

"Ma," Callen protested with a smile when he was blinded by the flash. "Put that thing away before I'm forced to throw it in the lake and make you lose all the pictures you took of Kate with Cinderella today."

"G Callen," Jenny said in a mock angry tone. "Don't make me ground you young man."

Callen snorted and Kate stirred. "Whazzit?" she mumbled.

"In English?" Callen asked with a smile.

"What's going on?" Kate asked sleepily.

"Nothing, Baby. Go back to sleep." Callen said as he rubbed Kate's back.

"Okay." Kate said as she snuggled in again and closed her eyelids. Right now she was the happiest kid on Earth. She had a Mom, a Daddy, a big brother in Callen and a new big sister in Abby, who was also fast asleep using Jethro's shoulder as a pillow. All in all, Kate was probably the Happiest Kid on Earth at the Happiest Place on Earth.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

REVIEWS!!!! It took me forever to write this! Let me know how you liked it.

(PS and just cuz we're almost at 150 reviews that doesn't mean you guys are allowed to suddenly stop reviewing. I do expect a certain amount of reviews per chapter to continue my story…)


	26. Scrapes and Aches

So me and surferdude8225 ride to school together cuz her sister is one of my best friends and neighbor so I get a ride with them. Anyways this dump truck cut us off and there was water leaking out of it. Surprisingly when we got out of the car at school we both said 'Hey what would have happened if a body came flying out of that dumpster…' We're both a little morbid now, thanks to television :) But hey, that's where Chapter 26 came from, so don't be hating on our morbidity.

Reviews please! I think I might up my review demand to 200 by chapter 30… Cuz I can and I like logging in and seeing a ton of reviews for each new chapter.

Trivia time! What episode of Emergency! did Mark Harmon guest star on? I have it on DVD and it's awesome :). My sister said he kinda looked like Zack Effron and know we know what Troy Welton will look like old…lol

And some really, really, really, spectacularly AMAZING news! I got into Salem State! (Hint, Kate's going to be going there eventually for college too, we both wanna be teachers) I'm just super pumped I got in; I was starting to get worried I wasn't going to get it. It's the only school I applied to. :)

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**January 2009**

"Hey, Becky," Kate said as she climbed into the passenger's seat of Becky's ancient white Mercury minivan.

"Ready for epic torture?" Becky asked with a dramatic sigh.

"Am I ever?" Kate replied as she broke apart one of her Eggo waffles. "I hate the first Monday after Midyears."

"At least you're a Senior." Holly said from the back seat while she was texting her boyfriend Eric. "Robbie's faking sick and he somehow got to stay home today."

"Mom knows he faking, Holls." Becky said. "Hence the list of chores he needs to do before she gets home from work taped to his bedroom door."

"Nice one Mrs. Tee." Kate said. "Faking sick is an art form, and one I've perfected."

"Especially when we have a major paper due the next day." Becky said with a laugh.

"Hey," Kate said. "At least I play the sick card the day _before_ it's due so I can write it and hand it in on time. Unlike a certain red headed driver I know."

Becky's hand shot out from the steering wheel and smacked Kate's arm.

"Hey!" Kate protested. "I bruise easy."

"No you don't, Dip-Shit." Becky replied. "You bruise normally."

"Well you've obviously never played 'Punch Buggy' with Abby." Kate grumbled as she finished the first of the three waffles that served as Kate's breakfast.

Becky rolled her eyes and fiddled with the radio stations until Kate smacked her hands away from the dial.

"I love this song!" Kate said. "And you love me, so you're going to leave it."

"Fine." Becky laughed. "I love U2!"

"Thanks." Kate said with a smirk "I knew I had good taste in music."

"Eww!" Holly said as a dumpster on a flat bed truck pulled out in front of them began to leak water. "That's nasty."

Kate rolled her eyes at the freshman. "It's just water, Holly."

"But it looks brown." Holly said as she silenced her cell phone.

"They came from the construction site over by the Potomac." Becky said. "There's probably river shit in it."

Kate began to sing along with the chorus at this point and cranked the stereo. "I still haven't found what I'm looking for… HOLY SHIT!"

A human skull had jarred free from the dumpster in front of them and hit the windshield of the van. Becky swerved upon impact, and on the slick road from the early morning showers, the van spun around and the back end slammed into the back of the dump truck. The truck stopped moving and the occupants of the van let the breath they hadn't known they'd been holding.

"Holly?" Becky cried hysterically. "Are you okay?"

Holly groaned. "I think so. My neck hurts and I got slammed into my seat a couple of times, but other than that I'm okay. I hope."

"I'm okay." Kate told her friend as she whipped out her cell phone to call 9-1-1. "I'm calling it in. Are you okay?"

Becky's brown eyes were enlarged and she shook her head 'no'. "I think I'm going to be sick." She whispered and threw her door open and puked the contents of her stomach up onto the pavement.

"Put the E Brake on," Kate said suddenly. "We're facing downhill."

Becky nodded when she stopped throwing up and put the car in park and set the E brake.

"9-1-1. What's your emergency?" The 9-1-1 operator said.

"My friends and I were just in a car accident." Kate told the woman. Her voice was shaky and she sounded like she was on the verge of crying. "This skull popped out of nowhere and hit our windshield and I think there's a body in the truck we hit!"

"Are you hurt?" The woman on the line asked.

"I don't know." Kate said as she began to hyperventilate.

"Where are you?" the woman asked.

Kate rattled off the streets names of the intersection and the number of occupants in Becky's car.

The traffic in all directions had been stopped by curious on lookers and the Good Samaritans that wanted to help the girls get out of the van.

"Help is on its way." The dispatcher said and Kate could hear the wail of the sirens approaching them.

"Thank you." Kate said and she hung up the phone.

"Slider's stuck." Holly said as she tried to jimmy it open.

"Ya think?" Kate replied sounding very much like her father. "The back end of the van is caved in, Holls."

"Mom and Dad are going to freak." Becky moaned

"They'll get over it, Hun." A woman in the crowd told Becky. "You girls are alive, that's what counts."

Kate nodded as she got out of the van and pulled the passenger's seat up as far forward as it would come to help Holly climb out. "Maybe if we're lucky," she said. "Ducky'll write us a nice Doctor's note excusing us from class for the week."

Becky nodded weakly and sank to the ground in the middle of the street. Kate walked around the front of the van to her friend and felt her knees give out as she surveyed the damage to the van. The entire rear end on the passenger's side was crushed and caved in. It was a miracle that Holly hadn't been killed when the van had hit the truck.

"Oh. My. God." Kate whimpered as she sank down next to Becky. "How the _hell_ did this happen?"

Holly joined them as a man in a black suit pushed his way through the crowd. "FBI, what's going on… Oh dear God."

Kate, Becky, and Holly turned to look at the dumbstruck FBI agent.

"We got hit by a skull." Becky said meekly. "See?" she pointed to the human skull in her windshield.

"Son of a bitch." The man swore. "If it's another crazy cannibal serial killer I swear I'm gonna shoot somebody."

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

After the local LEOs and the fire department had arrived, roped off the scene, stopped the smoke from coming from the van, and witness statements were being collected did Kate get to see an EMT.

"What happed?" The FBI Agent asked Kate.

"Who am I talking to?" Kate held her hand out for his badge. "Ahh!" she hissed as the EMT wiped antiseptic over a superficial laceration on her forehead.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI Homicide Division." Booth said as he handed Kate his badge for inspection. "You're a feisty one, huh?"

Kate smirked. "Do you know my Uncle Toby?" she asked sweetly. "He works at the Hoover Building too."

"What's his last name?" Booth asked.

"Fornell." Kate said as a smile bosomed on her face.

Booth's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Tobias Fornell?"

"Yupp." Kate said as the EMT started to pull glass shards out of Kate right hand. "I thought windshields weren't supposed to break apart like that."

"Me too." Booth said as he turned to look at the now destroyed windshield. "I guess slamming into a flat bed truck does that to it."

Kate shrugged and Becky blushed from her gurney across from Kate.

"So, Kate, what happened?" Booth said turning back to them.

"We were driving along moaning about school and then Becky let the truck out in front of us. Holly started to complain about the water runoff and then out of nowhere, BAM! We get hit by a human skull. Becky lost control of the van and I guess we hydroplaned until we hit the truck."

Booth nodded as he jotted down Kate's statement. "Where do you go to school?"

"Paul VI." Kate replied as she picked at one of the pleats in her uniform skirt.

"You're Catholic?" Booth asked.

Kate nodded. "Yepp. You?"

Booth nodded. "I'm looking for a good elementary school for my son Parker."

"St. Barbara's," Kate replied automatically. "Tell Sister Rosita Kate Gibbs sent you and she'll shave your tuition in half."

Booth smiled. "I think I'll give her a call tonight then."

"She won't be at the Rectory tonight." Kate informed him. "Mondays are bowling nights for the Sisters."

"Bowling Nuns?"

"They kick some serious ass." Kate said smiling. "Sister Rosie taught me how to bowl when I was five. Once I'm eighteen I'm joining their league."

"Booth!" his partner, a forensic anthropologist, called from the remnants of the windshield with the scull in one hand. With the other she was gesturing him to join her.

Booth handed Kate his card and she cut off his speech. "I know the whole schpiel. Go."

Booth nodded and took off.

Becky slid off of her gurney and hopped up onto Kate's. Becky and Kate grabbed each other's hands, looked at each other and burst into laughter. "I'm soooo sorry." Becky told Kate.

"It's not your fault." Kate told her best friend. "If it wasn't us it would have been that sweet old lady behind us."

Becky nodded. "I still feel responsible, though. I mean they just took my baby sister out of here in an ambulance to Bethesda."

"Holly's going to be fine." Kate said as she pulled Becky into a hug. "It's just a precaution, you know that."

Becky nodded. "Booth doesn't look to happy."

Kate looked over and saw the FBI Agent was holding a set of Dog Tags off of a pen and a look of pure fury was emblazoned across his visage.

"Twenty bucks says he calls NCIS." Kate said to Becky.

"Twenty says he calls Army CID." Becky retorted.

"You're on." Kate said and they shook on it as Booth stormed over to his SUV next to the ambulance.

"So who you calling?" Becky asked. "Army CID?" she added hopefully.

"Or NCIS?" Kate piped in.

"What's it to you?" Booth asked as he went through his contacts list.

"Twenty bucks." The girls answered in tandem.

"And I've got the NCIS switchboard in my phone book if you need the number." Kate added.

"What's the number?" Booth asked her.

Kate rattled off the NCIS Switchboard number from memory and just as Booth was about to press 'Send' on his phone the Major Case Response Team truck rolled up to the tape.

"They're here." Kate said pointing to the truck. "And they made pretty good time for an agency that hasn't been called in yet, officially speaking of course."

Leroy Jethro Gibbs put his sedan in park and stalked over to where Kate was after flashing his ID to a LEO. He pulled her off of the gurney and into a bone crushing hug that rivaled Abby's.

"Hey, Dad." Kate said. "Nice to see you again."

Jethro just hugged her tighter.

"Dad, chill!" Kate gasped. "Oxygen is becoming an issue!"

Jethro let go of Kate and kissed her temple before pulling Becky into a hug as well.

"I'm okay, Mr. G." Becky said. "Just a little shaken up."

"How'd you get here so fast?" Kate asked. "Agent Booth hasn't called the Switchboard yet."

"The Dean's office called me when you failed to show up for homeroom and first period." Jethro said as he took in his daughter's minor injuries. "I had McGee and Abby trace your cell phone."

Kate groaned. "I thought you promised me to never ever do that! Ever!"

Gibbs sighed. "Well drastic times call for drastic measures."

"I wasn't intentionally skipping!" Kate said. "I was in an accident and I'm fine. I was going to call you once we got to the Hoover Building."

"Kate!" Kate looked up to see Tony running over from the truck.

"Crap." Kate muttered. "How upset did I get Tony?"

"Pretty damn upset." Jethro responded. "I think he was more worried than I was."

"Tony!" Kate said as the Senior Field Agent scooped her up in a bear hug that was tighter than Jethro's and Abby's combined. "We're alright, calm down. Okay?"

Tony let her go and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Don't you _**DARE**_ scare us like that again, young lady!" he thundered.

"Yes, Dad." Kate replied playfully.

Tony sighed and hugged Kate for a second time. "I'm sorry, I over reacted."

"Totally rational reaction." Kate said. "I could have died. Your tweak attack was totally in line."

"Kate!" Kate stood on her tip toes to see over Tony's shoulders. It wasn't her fault she was five foot four. Height had not been something she inherited from her parents. The voice that had shouted her name belonged to Tim McGee.

Kate stepped away from Tony and initiated the hug with Tim. He was still a little unsure about initiating hugs between himself and his Boss's almost eighteen year old daughter.

"Are you okay?" Tim asked Kate as he hugged her in a very Timmy-esque bear hug. There was the soft squishy belly and the very strong muscular arms wrapped around her in a protective manner.

Truthfully speaking Tim was Kate's favorite on her Dad's team. She loved Tony as an older brother, the over-protective, overbearing older brother, but still he was her brother. Ziva was the kick ass best friend and kinda sister, Abby was her sister no questions asked. But Tim, Tim was different. He seemed to be the meek and mild computer geek that was afraid of his own shadow. But when Tim was confident in himself, he was _different_. He didn't let anybody walk all over him and he fought back when Tony started on the 'Mc-Nicknames'. Tim was the best person Kate could take her boy issues to. He didn't judge her on what clique the boy was in, he didn't make any threats against said boy's reproductive system, and he just listened. That was what Kate needed. And Tim knew that, he got to play the big overbearing brother with Sarah, and with Kate, he was the chill guy.

"I think I'm going to make a sign that says 'I'm okay! Stop asking me!' and tape it to my forehead." Kate said teasingly as she gave Tim a little peck on the cheek.

McGee flushed a little in embarrassment "Sorry, it's an automatic reaction." He muttered.

"It's fine." Kate said. "I think it's cute you guys are all so worked up over lil' old me."

Tim laughed and noticed Kate was shivering. "Hey, go grab some coveralls from the truck for you and Becky. You two must be freezing."

"You have no idea." Kate said. "Thanks, Timmy."

Tim smiled and pushed her back towards the truck. "Change! Go!"

"Becky!" Kate cried and motioned her best friend towards the MCRT truck. "We get to steal Ziva's coveralls!"

Becky shuffled over to the MCRT truck and let Kate get changed first. The older of the two stripped off her North Face, school uniform; blazer, skirt, blouse, neck tie, annoying knee socks, school approved Mary-Jane type shoes, and dropped them unceremoniously into the brown evidence bags McGee had left out for them. She grabbed a Sharpie marker out of a drawer and scribbled 'Kate's clothes' on them and left them on the seat in the back. She pulled on the blue coveralls, a pair of gum boots she found in another cabinet and pulled on a sweat shirt that she knew belonged to Tony. The Italian wouldn't care that Kate had taken it, after all it was January.

Kate hopped out and Becky repeated the process and came out without a sweatshirt. "Hey, where's Ziva?" Kate asked McGee once they were back under the tape and with Agent Booth.

The ambulance had left because the EMTS knew Ducky wan enroute and that he was an MD as well as an ME.

Tim shrugged. "I don't know. She drove."

"Great…" Kate said as she scanned the scene and still couldn't find Ziva. They had been on site for twenty minutes and Ziva had just vanished. "How do we tell Vance that we lost the Israeli Ninja Chick?"

"I am not lost."

Kate and Becky whirled around to see Ziva had crept up behind them with Agent Booth's partner.

"Don't do that!" Becky shrieked. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

Ziva smirked like the cat that ate the canary.

"Good to know." Kate said. "So I hear Dad let you drive from the Yard."

"He did." Ziva said as she observed Kate in the oversized OSU sweatshirt and blue NCIS coveralls. Seeing no major injuries that she could aggravate, Ziva pulled Kate into a hug.

"I am glad you were not gravely injured." The Israeli woman told Kate. "I would have had no one to beat into a bloody pulp in retaliation for you injuries."

"Thanks, Ziva." Kate said with a confused smile. "I think."

Ziva smiled and hugged Becky as well. "You're not forgiven for sneaking up on me, yet." Becky told the older woman.

Ziva nodded. "Duly noted."

The forensic anthropologist next to Ziva stepped forward to speak with Booth. Booth, had been locked in an argument about jurisdiction with Gibbs while the girls had gotten changed. Tony had found two decomposing bodies in the dumpster. At this point they couldn't tell if the bodies were civilians or military personal.

"I want the skeletal remains brought to the Jeffersonian." She told Booth. "Along with the dumpster to search for the rest of the remains."

"Hold up." Jethro growled out. "None of those things are going anywhere until my ME gets here and takes a look at the bodies."

Doctor Brennan's jaw dropped. "I'm the leading expert on forensic anthropology in that nation! And a liaison to the FBI. There are bones, there for I take them back to my lab!"

"You found Dog Tags that indicated he was a Marine smashed into his jaw." Tony said as he approached the group in front of the FBI issued Suburban. "That makes this an NCIS case, Doc."

"Not only that," Jethro added, "That skull nearly killed two daughters of an active duty Marine and the daughter of an NCIS Special Agent in Charge and the former Director."

"Thos two guys DiNozzo found could be civilians." Booths said putting in his two cents. "NCIS doesn't handle civilian cases. The FBI does."

Kate nudged Becky. The two girls were on the fringes of the little pow wow. "I smell a joint investigation." She told the red head in a sing song voice.

"DUN, DUN, DUN!" Becky said with a giggle.

Ziva heard the girls and shook her head and smiled. The innocence of youth was firmly in their grasp. Neither one of them had seen any _real_ dead bodies so far. And they were under direct orders from Gibbs to keep it that way. "This will be a crapping contest, yes?" she asked the girls.

"Pissing." Kate replied automatically correcting the Israeli woman's blunder. "A pissing contest."

"Yes, that." Ziva said.

"Yeppers." Kate said as she shoved her hands in the pocket of the sweat shirt and rocked back and forth on her heals.

Becky shivered and Agent Booth noticed the slight action. "Here," He said to Becky. "Take my jacket. I've got another one in the truck."

"Thanks," Becky said as she pulled on the heavy woolen overcoat.

"No problem." Booth said with a smile and went to retrieve his jacket from the truck.

When he came back he said, "FBI was here first."

"Fluke." Jethro said without missing a beat. "You were behind them in traffic. My ME is about ten minutes out. Nobody goes anywhere unless Ducky clears it."

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Ducky and Jimmy Palmer showed up fifteen minutes later.

"Terribly sorry, Jethro!" Ducky said as he got out of the ME van. "Abigail wished to join us on our journey to Fairfax."

Abby bounded over to Kate and Becky and pulled them into a giant Abby Hug. "Oh my Gosh! Are you okay? Where's Holly? Should Ducky look you guys over? Sit down until he does! Aren't you freezing in the coveralls? Gibbs! Why are they still here? It's twenty degrees! They've got to be freezing!"

"Abby!" Kate said. "Oxygen! It's needed!"

"Oops." Abby said, embarrassed as she let the two girls go. "I was worried."

"We're fine, Abby." Becky said reassuringly. "Just some scrapes and aches."

"Ducky can poke and prod at us all he wants." Kate said. "But first we got ourselves a turf war brewing."

Abby's eyebrows flew up into her bangs. "With who?"

"FBI." Becky replied. In her time spent with the Gibbs family, Becky had grown accustomed to members of Federal Agencies and the CIA, Senators, Congressmen, and every so often Diplomats showing up at the Gibbs's home. She was just as unphased as Kate was with the argument brewing between Booth and Jethro. "Mr. Gibbs is going to win, hands down."

"Duh." Abby said. "Gibbs ALWAYS wins. Well, except for that one time he worked with Tony in Baltimore the first time."

"That was then, this is now." Kate said. "But I'm thinking this one's going to be split between the agencies."

"What?" Abby asked, she was already dreading sharing her evidence with some snot nosed community college grad at the FBI lab. "Why do you say that?"

Kate shrugged as she began to bounce up and down on the balls of her feet to get warm. "Agent Booth seems like a guy who won't back down without a fight. He screams ex-Military, my guess is Army, sniper maybe, he did the really quick take in the scene and quick recovery thing Dad does sometimes. He's like a dog with a bone. He's gonna want a part of this case."

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

An hour later Kate was sitting in an interrogation room at the Hoover Building to give her formal statement. Agent Booth had stopped at the Gibbs house to let the girls put on some real clothes before they came to DC.

Kate had her UGG boot clad feet up on the table top, her legs crossed and was leaning back in the chair texting Becky in another interrogation room. Kate sighed as she typed out 'How long till Uncle Toby storms in?'

Becky sent back a smiley face and 'Ala Mexico two years ago?'

'Yup'. Kate texted. 'I give it 5 min max.'

'lol'.

Kate looked up when the door opened and Agent Booth came in with a legal pad and a couple of pens.

"Statement time?" Kate asked as she put her phone in her jeans pocket and sat up.

"Statement time." Booth said in confirmation.

"Do I need like an adult witness or a legal guardian or something?" Kate asked. "Cuz Dad's processing stuff, Tony and Timmy are too, Abby's up to her neck in evidence."

"What about your Mom?" Booth asked.

Kate bit her lip. "She's gone." She said sadly thinking about Jenny. To the outside world, Director Jenny Shepard was killed in a fire that destroyed her Georgetown home. To her family, she was gone deep undercover with Witness Protection to keep her safe from the La Grenouille's organization; they blamed her and wanted revenge.

Booth stopped. "NCIS former Director," he muttered. "Shit. I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"It's fine." Kate said sadly. "It's kinda hard getting used to it. I just got used to having a Mom again and then she's gone."

Booth smiled sadly. "I'll go call a child advocate for you."

"No need, Booth." A male voice said from the doorway.

"Hey, Uncle Toby," Kate said as she whipped out her phone and sent 'not even 2 min. I win' to Becky.

"Texting Becky?" Tobias Fornell asked Kate.

Kate nodded. "Yupp, it's official statement time. Wanna be my legal guardian for quarter of an hour?"

"Why not?" Fornell said as he pulled out the chair next to Kate. "You watch Emily for me every Friday."

Kate giggled and rolled her eyes. "Because the only other babysitter she likes is Mr. Parker's Dad. And Mr. PD works at for the FBI too."

Tobias sent a quick glance over to Booth.

"You're Mr. Parker's Dad, aren't you?" Kate asked Booth as she wrote down wt happened on the way to school that morning.

"How'd you guess?" Seeley said smiling.

"You mentioned having a son named Parker." Kate said. "And Uncle Toby just glanced over at you. I gotta know who my babysitting competition is."

"I just think it's really weird that Diane and Rebecca live next to each other." Tobias said. "Small world, huh?"

"Don't get me started on that damn ride." Kate said. "Callen made me go on it twice when we went to Disney because I wouldn't stop singing the pirate song."

"How old were you, seven?" Tobias asked. "It's expected, you were little and excited."

Kate smirked. "Yeah well, look where we are ten years later…"

Tobias sighed and shook his head at Kate's dramatics.

Booth shrugged and Kate just kept writing.

Five minutes later Kate threw down her pen. "Finished!" she cried triumphantly. "Now what?"

"You go do the same thing at NCIS." Booth said without missing a beat.

"Can't you make a photo copy or something?" Kate asked.

"That would be cheating." Booth said. "And Director Vance made it very clear to my boss that he wants a handwritten statement from the both of you."

Kate nodded and met up with Becky in the hallway where they were escorted to the elevators. Alex, Kate's sometimes body guard, met them in the lobby of the building to take them to the Naval Yard.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

A half hour later Kate sat in her dad's office chair sulking as she was on facebook and Becky was at McGee's desk doing the same. Kate was upset because she really did have to rewrite her statement because Leon "I'm the Boss Now" Vance said she had to.

"So…." Becky said as they waited for the team to appear in the Bull Pen. "Wanna watch _The Princess Bride_?"

"Sure." Kate said as she got up and headed for Tony's desk to find the DVD. "Tony's got it here somewhere."

Becky smiled, "Inconceivable!"

"Why do you keep using that word?" Kate asked doing her imitation of Inigo Montoya. "I do not think it means what you think it means."

The two girls burst into peals of giggles as Kate put the DVD in the computer and put the computer screen up on the plasma screen behind her Dad's desk. They commandeered Tony and Tim's chairs and settled in to watch the most amazing love story of all time.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**March 2009**

"KATE!" Kate put her English book, _The Poisonwood Bible_ by Barbara Kingsolver, down on her bed and went down stairs to see what her father wanted.

"What's up?" Kate asked as she came down the stairs.

"We caught the people behind the body dumps that caused your accident." Jethro said as he headed for the kitchen.

"So it took you like a month and a half to crack the case?" Kate asked curiously as she hopped up on the island top.

"It went cold after a week." Jethro said. "They covered their tracks a little too well."

"So how'd you find them?" Kate asked as she played with an apple from the bowl of fruit next to her.

"They slipped up." Jethro said as he made himself a sandwich. "Off the island."

Kate hopped off and asked. "Slipped up, how?"

"Somebody left his prints all over one vic's wallet. Abby didn't have a chance to run them until last week, and then we brought down part of the DC Mob."

"No way!" Kate said. "The Mob?"

"Nah." Jethro said. "I just wanted to see your reaction."

"Then who?" Kate asked eagerly.

"Serial killer from Bethesda. You don't need to know the name." Jethro said in reply.

"No fun." Kate said good naturedly. "But thanks for letting me know. I'm gonna go call Becky and tell her."

"Kate," Jethro said to his daughter who lingered in the doorway.

"Yeah, Dad?" Kate replied.

"If you two are going out tonight, stay out of trouble."

"Always try to." Kate replied and disappeared up the stairs.

When Jethro went up to her room to let her know he was going back to work her heard her talking on the phone with Becky,

"…and then Dad told me it was the DC Mob! And I bought it!" Kate laughed and listened to what Becky had to say. "Yeah, I know. Turns out it was just some serial killer from Maryland. No, he won't tell me the name either."

Jethro smiled and headed back out the front door and back to the Naval Yard to process the serial killer who had just narrowly missed adding his daughter to the list of victims.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

There it is! An incredibly long, (23 pages on word) chapter for you! It took all week to write because this week my teachers decided it would be okay to make like three essays and two projects due within two days of each other. Fun stuff.

REVIEWS PLEASE!!!! I want 200 of them by chapter 30 :). Please and Thank you!

Hey, and if any of my readers goes to PVI in Fairfax or knows somebody who does, can you just PM me some info, like if they have an AP English class, block scheduling vs. periods etc., I wanna be as accurate as possible and I didn't get much info from Wikipedia. Thanks in advance.


	27. School and Surprises

Hey guys! Here's the newest installment of Daddy's Sweetest Gift. From here on out in order to establish my time line and keep myself from getting confused, the year the chapter takes place in will appear in the center and bolded at the beginning. I'm going to go back and do that to all my previous chapters eventually.

I've decided that Jay-Jay Gibbs is going to be one of 110 children and one in seven boys with a form of autism. I've noticed that in stories where the team has children, very rarely do their children have disabilities or glasses or serious health issues like diabetes. I'm breaking the mold and putting out there that autism exists and some of us live with that every day. My little brother was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome almost five years ago and my parent's battle with our school system for three years to get him the IEP (Individualized Education Program) he needs. It took his moving up to the middle school for him to get this. (On a side note, Microsoft word doesn't even recognize "Asperger's" in its dictionary.) Autism isn't going away because we ignore it. It's here to stay and for all we know it's genetic. My little rant was inspired by Mr. Tyree in the new movie 'Dear John', because for all my family knows, my brother could end up like him one day; despite the social skills classes he's enrolled in now. Like those commercials say, "Autism speaks. It's time to listen." Plus I think that Jay-Jay's diagnosis with Asperger's Syndrome may cause Gibbs to take a step back and get more involved with his family and cut back on his workaholic tendencies. So now the mold is broken and Kate's going to have an absolutely zero tolerance for bullying; especially since children with undiagnosed learning disabilities (or diagnosed ones) are normally the prime targets for bullies. And I'll end my rant here before I go off on a tangent on bullying and what the Massachusetts school systems should be doing to help students take the option of ending their lives over bullying out of the equation.

So just read and review please!!!!

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**September 2013**

Kate took a deep breath before she opened the door to George Washington Carver Elementary School. It felt so weird to be standing in the spot where twelve years ago she had watched one of the hijacked airliners fly into the Pentagon. In those twelve years Mrs. Harris, the secretary, was the only staff member left from when Kate had attended the school.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in!" Mrs. Harris cried as Kate approached her immaculately clean counter. "Little Caitlin Gibbs is back and she's all grown up!"

"Mrs. Harris!" Kate exclaimed happily. "How are you?"

"Much better now that I actually know somebody who works here." The elderly woman said. "You're the first teacher in this building in God knows how long to be an alumnae."

"Mrs. H," Kate said smiling as she handed the woman some of her paperwork. "I didn't graduate the fifth grade from here."

"Doesn't matter." Mrs. Harris stated firmly. "Half the students here were pulled out after 9/11 and went to schools further from the Pentagon and the Capital."

"It's good to see you again, Mrs. Harris." Kate said. "I need to go get ready for the first day of torture," she said jokingly.

"Go on then," Mrs. Harris said. "Shoo! Those kids will be here in an hour."

Sure enough, an hour later Kate was standing in front of twenty one fourth graders who were eagerly looking at their new teacher.

"Good morning Boys and Girls." Kate said to her class once they had settled into their desks. She had to pull out an extra desk for a new student at the last minute and pull out text books and work books for him as well. "I'm Miss Gibbs, your teacher for the year."

"Good morning, Miss Gibbs." The class chorused.

Kate smiled and one of the girls in the back, a small blond girl named Cassidy, fidgeted and played with the cover of the spelling book on her desk.

"Since I'm new here," Kate said "I thought we'd play a name game."

Genuine smiles burst onto the faces in front of her.

Cassidy's hand shot up in the air. In the already established class rules raising your hand to speak was number two, right behind 'Be respectful of others'.

Kate called on her. "What kind of name game, Miss Gibbs?" the girl asked excitedly.

"A fun one, Cassidy." Kate replied with a smile. "We're going to say our names and then say what we want to be when we grow up, and our favorite place to go on vacation. I'll go first." Kate said as she wrote the steps on the white board with an orange Expo marker. The white boards were a major improvement over the old chalk boards from Kate's days in this school.

"I'm Miss Gibbs," she said to the class. "I want to be the best teacher I can be, and my favorite place to go on vacation is my Uncle Mike's house in Mexico. Who wants to go next?"

Twenty of the twenty one hands shot up in the air. The lone hand not raised belonged to the new boy next to Cassidy.

Kate's smile grew a little wider. So far so good. "We'll start with the row closest to the door. When it's your turn I want you to stand up and speak clearly so everyone can hear you."

The first little boy stood and said "I'm Charlie Hanna. I wanna be an NCIS Agent like my Dad and my Uncle G. My favorite place is my Nana Hanna's beach house in Santa Barbara."

Kate smiled at the little African-American boy and suppressed a laugh. "Is your Dad's name Sam?" she asked him.

Charlie nodded with wide eyes. He didn't know how Miss Gibbs knew his Dad's name, but it was freaky. "Yes Ma'am. We just moved here from Los Angeles last month."

Kate nodded and Sam sat back down. Next were Kristen Mariotte, Callie Rogers, Mollie Bell, Molly Tambone, Kelsey Simmons, Emily Cummings, and Greg Johnson.

After Greg, it was Cassidy's turn. "I'm Cassidy Riley, I wanna be a vet and my favorite place to go is to my lake house in Lake George, New York."

Kate raised an eyebrow as the class politely clapped like they were instructed to. Lake George was a pretty far ride from DC by car, and then Kate remembered that Cassidy's father was a Senator from New York. They had a plane, thus the ride was greatly condensed.

After Cassidy was the new student. Kate was wracking her brain for his name but it evaded her like the phone number some co-ed had given Tony.

"I'm Sam." He said faintly. Sam was the smallest nine year old Kate had ever seen. If she hadn't known any better she would have assumed he was six. "I wanna be a doctor. I think." He said and sat back down.

"Sam, what's your last name?" Kate asked as she tried to remember what it said on her roster next to Sam's first name.

"James." Sam said in his barely audible voice. Kate let his lack of favorite place slide and moved on to Alex Chung, Andy Tyree, Nick Chase, Kelly Morrison, Michelle Stokes, Olivia Taylor (no relation to Becky), Leah Higgins, Joey Lee, and Jacqui March.

By the time their version of the Name Game wrapped up it was time for the class to go out for snack recess. Once her class was gone Kate sent out a text to Sam Hanna for not telling her that Charlie would be in her class and checked the papers Mrs. Harris had slipped her that morning for more information on Sam James.

Sam was a foster child. Kate read the note that had been put in his file for his teachers to read. Sam had been rescued from a Meth addict mother and a father who was hooked on heroin a year ago and was not adjusting well to his new situation.

Kate felt her heart bleed for the little boy as she made him a name tag and added his name to her grade book. She hoped the boy would be able to finish the year at GWC.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate put her silver Jetta in park and looked at her childhood home with a huge grin. It was good to be _home_. She got out of her car and whistled. She waited a moment and hear the tell tale jingling of Jethro's collar as he bounded to the front yard from the back yard barking excitedly.

"Good boy!" Kate said as she set down her bags and braced herself for Jethro's slobbery kisses.

"Am I chopped liver or something?"

Kate looked up from her canine assault to see her boyfriend of two years, Jake, holding a torn leash mock glaring at the dog. Kate noticed that the other half of the leash was still clipped to Jethro's collar.

"I missed my Jethro." Kate said speaking like somebody would speak to a baby. "He's a good boy for his Mommy. Oh yes he is." Jethro sat down and his big pink tongue hung out of his mouth.

"We need a new leash." Jake said obviously. "Preferably a stronger one Jethro won't rip when he hears you whistle for him."

"Where's the chain one I bought last week?" Kate asked as she expertly scooped her bags up in one arm and grabbed Jethro's collar with the other hand firmly grasping Jethro's collar.

"Basement somewhere." Jake replied as he wiggled the bags out of Kate's arm. "Your mom dropped off Jet's stuff today."

Kate nodded as she guided the dog back into the house and let him loose once Jake had shut the door.

"Want to take Jet for a walk?" Jake asked her as he put her bags down in the living room.

"Why?" Kate asked as she took off her low heels and pulled her hair up into a messy bun.

"Get a chance to see the neighborhood." Jake said. "Meet the neighbors."

"Why not?" Kate said. "Let me go get changed and we can go."

Ten minutes later Kate came back downstairs in an old NCIS tee, cut off shorts covered in paint and flip flops. "Ready?"

"Sure," Jake said as he attached the chain like leash to Jethro's collar. "Let's go."

Kate grabbed the door and locked it. "This feels weird." She said.

"Why?" Jake asked as he restrained Jet from running off after a squirrel in the front yard.

"We never locked the front door when I was a kid." Kate replied. "Never."

Jake shrugged. "Times change,"

Kate nodded. "I know. There never were this many kids when I lived here."

"How many years has it been since you moved to Anacostia?" Jake asked her as Jethro tried to break free to greet the children running up and down the street.

"Nine years, Jake. Same as you," Kate replied. "I think the only people who remember me are the Brays from next door."

"You've been gone for a while, Kate." Jake said. "People have moved on, passed on, new families move in, old homes come down new ones go up. It's a cycle. You know it as well as I do." Jake was referring to his own move to Anacostia around the same time the Gibbs family moved there as well.

Jake and Kate had been classmates at GWC until 9/11. Kate's parents had pulled her out of the public school and she'd found herself at St. Barbara's Parish School in DC. Jake had appeared there as well in the sixth through eighth grades. Back in those days he'd gone by Jacob and had been the class clown. He also had been harboring a crush on Kate for the longest time. Being a boy and not knowing how to properly express these feelings at twelve he had settled for teasing her for the first year of middle school. Kate had slapped him across the face one day after school had gotten out when they were walking to the Metro station and he backed off after that. During the summer between eighth and ninth grades Jake had moved again and disappeared from Kate's radar until her junior year in college.

When they had reunited through mutual friends at a Boston Red Sox game, Kate hadn't recognized him. It might have been his five inch tall Mohawk, or the two gauges in each of his ears, but it took until Kate mentioned going to GWC for either one of them to realize who they were talking to. At this point it was the seventh inning in vary long game. After a couple of slightly embarrassing stories from their days in kindergarten and being conveniently left alone by Becky, Julia, and Sadie's boyfriend Mike, Jake asked Kate out and the rest was, well history. Two years later they were still going strong and were living in Kate's childhood home in Arlington, Virginia.

Jake was going to be part of the next class to go through the FBI Academy. He had already completed his necessary FLETC classes and was waiting for the next class at Quantico to start. Kate was anxious for his first assignment. She was hoping he'd be assigned to the Hoover Building so they wouldn't have to move cross-country. She was nervous about passing the teaching licensure tests in other states.

"I know," Kate said with a sad smile. "I missed this place."

The ice cream man's truck drove past with a happy song playing and a gaggle of children following it on bikes, scooters and on foot.

"Let me guess," Jake said as he watched Kate wistfully stare at the truck. "You were the kid on her bike leading the assault on the ice cream man."

"How'd you guess?" Kate replied playfully.

"I know my girlfriend." Jake said he kissed her temple. "I love you Caitlin Erica Gibbs."

Kate looked at Jake. "I love you too, Jake."

Jake just smiled and dropped to one knee as he pulled out a ring box from the pocket of his shorts.

"Kate," he said with the biggest and goofiest love sick smile Kate had ever seen. "I've been head over heels in love with you since the fourth grade."

Kate bit her lip as she began to tear up. She couldn't believe it! Jake was proposing to her!

"Ever since we were reunited two years ago, I haven't been able to picture my future without you by my side. Will you make me the happiest man on the planet and marry me?"

Kate nodded as the tears began to fall. She was so happy! Her whole body shook as the adrenaline surged through her system. "Yes!" she cried. "Oh, God, yes! Jake I'd love to marry you!"

Jake stood up, dropped the leash, and slid the ring onto Kate's ring finger. "I love you so much," he whispered.

Kate just grabbed his head and pulled him in for a searing kiss that left them both panting for breath when they broke apart. Jake wrapped his arms around Kate's waist, picked her up and spun her around in circles.

She laughed and looked at the ring on her hand and back at her new fiancé once he set her back on the ground. "So _this_ is why Mom wanted you to go to the mall with her last week." Kate said.

"You caught me." Jake said with a knowing smirk as he pressed his forehead to Kate's. "My Gamma wanted me to propose to you with her engagement ring, but I couldn't take it. It's all she has left to remember Nono by."

Kate kissed Jake's cheek. "I love my new ring," she told him. "It's the nicest engagement ring I've ever seen."

"That's good." Jake said as he tightened his hold on Kate's waist and kissed her forehead. "Because it was your Mom's ring."

Kate looked at her ring and back to Jake. "My Mom's ring." She echoed him in disbelief.

"Yepp." Jake said. "Your Dad and I went to the bank two weeks ago. When he was taking it out of the safe deposit box he told me that if I ever do anything to hurt you I'm a dead man walking from today on."

"This was my Mommy's ring." Kate said still fixated on the piece of jewelry on her hand. "The one Daddy proposed to my Mommy Shannon with."

"The very same ring." Jake said. He was starting to think it was a mistake to use Shannon's ring. "Is that okay?"

Kate gave Jake the biggest bear hug he'd ever experienced in the two years they'd dated. "It's better than okay." Kate told him when she released him. "It's perfect." She was crying again, but these were yet again happy tears.

Kate sighed as Jake hugged her again. She was content to just stay in his arms for the rest of her life. Nothing could ruin this feeling of _rightness_ that she was experiencing. Nothing.

"Where's Jethro?" Jake asked suddenly after they'd been kissing and hugging for five minutes. He had just realized that the dog was gone, along with the ice cream man and the crowd of kids.

"Well, crap." Kate said as she spotted Jethro's leash and collar on the sidewalk. "That rascal got out of his collar again."

Jake swore and Kate scooped up the accessories. "Language." Kate said automatically as she heard Jake cuss. "My students live in this neighborhood Jake. The last thing I need to hear from their parents is that their child learned to swear from my fiancé."

"I know." Jake said. "But we just lost a dog with Military training. He's a drug dog, Kate. Who knows what will happen if he gets a whiff of pot or he feels threatened…"

Now it was Kate's turn to swear. "JETHRO!" she called. No response.

"I'll go in the direction we were heading before you surprised me, and you head back towards the house." Kate said as she frantically wracked her brain for places Jethro could be hiding.

Jake nodded and kissed her temple. "Don't worry." He told her. "We'll find him."

Kate nodded and took off.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"JETHRO!" Kate cried as she turned onto Schultz Place twenty minutes later. "Come here boy!"

Outside of a cheerful yellow house on Kate's right a little old lady was working in her garden. "What's with all this racket?" she snapped at Kate.

"I lost my dog." Kate said somewhat pathetically as she held up Jethro's collar and leash. "Have you seen him? He's a German Sheppard about yay high, kinda gray looking around his muzzle." Kate said using her hand to indicate Jet's height.

"You're not from around here." The old lady said as she narrowed her eyes and looked at Kate suspiciously. "How do I know you aren't coming back to rob me later?"

"I live over on Maple Ave." Kate said. "I just moved in with my fiancé last month."

"Nobody on Maple has sold their house lately." She said as her eyes narrowed even further.

"The Gibbs place." Kate said answering the unasked question. "I'm Kate Gibbs. When we moved out Dad didn't bother to sell the place. He didn't have the heart to."

The old lady's eyes opened up but she still didn't believe Kate. "Jethro's girl, eh?"

Kate nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

The old biddy sighed and pointed to a house across from hers and down two doors on the cul-de-sac. "Your mutt went into the Potter place. He followed one of their foster kids in to the house. Trouble the whole bunch of them." She muttered as she returned to her garden.

"Thank you." Kate said with forced politeness and crossed the street to the indicated house. That old lady sure was a bi-atch if Kate had ever met one.

Kate rang the doorbell at the Potter home and felt herself relax when she heard Jethro start to bark from somewhere. He was safe; not lying in the middle of the street after being hit by a car.

Kate was pulled from her musings as the front door flew open and a teenage girl stood behind it with a baby on her hip. The girl had jet black hair that was definitely achieved through hair dye in this case, her eye brow pierced, multiple era piercings in each ear, and two lip rings, '_Snakebites_' Kate thought randomly. The more astonishing look was the bright pink Hollister tee shirt and white Bermuda shorts. The clothes did not match the bad girl vibe she was putting out. "Can I help you?" she asked politely as she tried to calm the screaming toddler.

"Is this the Potter home?" Kate asked trying not to sound as confused as she was.

The girl nodded and turned around and yelled "NANCY!"

Kate blinked and looked at the girl in front of her; _there_ was the attitude she was expecting.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked Kate politely again and switched the baby to her other hip to keep his fingers away from her lip rings. "Nancy will be down in a few minutes."

"Thank you." Kate said as she came in and the girl was able to close the door and set the boy back on the ground. Once he was down he stopped crying and happily toddled off into the living room.

"What's NCIS stand for?' the girl asked Kate as she took in her apparel.

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service" Kate replied from memory. "They're the Navy equivalent of the FBI."

"Cool." The teenager said as Nancy came in from out back.

"Mellissa." Nancy said with a grown. "What have I told you about that wig?"

"Not to wear it while answering the door?" The girl said uncertainly as she pulled it off. Kate noticed that Mellissa actually had chestnut brown hair that fell in waves to her mid back.

"And take out the piercings." Nancy said. "Your Social Worker is coming this evening and I don't want to be written up for letting you pierce your ears six times."

Mellissa laughed and pulled out the fake piercings. All but two of her piercing in her ears were magnetic, and the two snake bites were just missing part of old rings. The eyebrow ring however was real.

"Can you please go put Cody in the crib and do your homework?" Nancy asked the now more respectable looking teenager.

"Okay." Mellissa said as she scooped up the little boy and disappeared up the stairs.

"So," Nancy said "Who's done what now?"

"I'm sorry?" Kate asked confused.

"NCIS." Nancy said. "None of these kids have any family in the Marine Corp or the Navy."

Kate looked at her shirt. "Oh, I'm not from NCIS. It's my Dad's old shirt. I'm actually looking for my dog. The lady across the street said he followed one of your kids home about a half hour ago."

"That's your dog outback with Sam?" Nancy asked. "He didn't take him from your yard did he?"

"Oh, no." Kate said. "My boyfriend convinced me to go on a walk with him and Jethro and surprised me by proposing. He dropped the leash and we stopped paying attention to Jet and he just slipped out f his collar and took off."

"Congratulations." Nancy said as she led Kate to the kitchen to watch her foster son Sam play with Jethro.

"That dog's a miracle worker." Nancy said. "Sam hasn't talked as much is he is right now in the two weeks he's lived here. Up until today I'd never seen that boy smile. I was starting to think he didn't know how to. I was out there with them until Missy called me in and he actually started a conversation. He normally only speaks if we speak to him."

"How long has Jet been here?" Kate asked as she recognized the little boy playing with the dog as Sam James, one of her students.

"A half hour." Nancy replied. "And it's been the happiest half hour in Sam's life in a long time."

"I can tell." Kate said as she hear him giggle as Nancy opened the sliding door and stepped onto the back porch.

Kate and Nancy stood on the deck completely un-noticed by dog or boy for close to twenty minutes before Kate realized how late it was getting.

"I don't want to be the Evil Teacher," Kate said to Nancy, "but I need to get Jethro home. Jake and I are going to Anacostia to have dinner with my parents and siblings."

Nancy nodded with a sad smile. "I knew that dog's owner was going to turn up sooner or later. I told him not to get attached. Sam's going to be crushed."

The wheels in Kate's head started to turn and she looked at Nancy. "Could you keep him here until we get back?" Kate asked. "I'd pay you for the trouble and I think Sam needs a furry friend. Jet's the best kind of therapy you could ask for."

"Are you sure?" Nancy asked.

Kate nodded. "Let me run it by Sam before we make any definite plans."

Nancy nodded. "I'm sure you'll make his day, Miss Gibbs."

Kate smiled and stepped down into the yard and whistled. Jethro froze in mid pounce and his ears perked up at the familiar whistle. His head cocked to side and he propelled himself at his mistress happily barking and then covering her in slobbery kisses when he reached her.

"Miss Gibbs!" Sam cried happily when he saw who Jethro had pounced on. "Is he your doggie?"

"He is, Sam." Kate said as she put the collar back on Jethro and the dog hung his head; he was busted.

"What's his name?" Sam asked as he came up next to his teacher and began patting the dog's head. Jethro leaned into the boys touch showing how much he enjoyed that petting.

"Jethro," Kate said with a smile. "My friend Abby named him after my Dad."

"That's so cool!" Sam exclaimed.

"It is." Kate said with a smile. "Sam," she said as she crouched down to Sam's level, "Would you like to watch Jethro for me tonight?"

"Can I?" Sam asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, you may." Kate said correcting Sam. After all, she was a teacher. "I'm going to dinner with my Mom and Dad in Anacostia. I don't want to leave Jet all by himself at home because he gets into trouble when he's alone."

"Thank you, Miss Gibbs!" Sam exclaimed. "I pwomise to take good care of him!"

Kate smiled when she heard the little lisp that made her think of Jay-Jay. "Okay. But I need you to promise me one thing."

"Anything!" Sam cried happily.

"You go to bed when Nancy tells you to." Kate said. "None of this waiting up to say good bye to Jethro. Got that?"

Sam nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Miss Gibbs!"

"Alright," Kate said as she got up and ruffled the boy's sand colored hair. "I'll see you later, Sam."

"Bye, Miss Gibbs!" Sam said as he latched himself onto Jethro. "I'll take good care of Jet. I pwomise to treat him like Maisy."

"Who's Maisy?" Kate asked him.

"My old doggie." Sam said. "Mrs. Guren wouldn't let me bring her when I left my old house."

Just hearing Sam speak of his ordeal so casually broke Kate's heart.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate sighed as Jake pulled into the semi circle driveway in front of her parents' home.

"You okay?" Jake asked his fiancé.

"Yeah," Kate replied. "I just didn't expect the whole team to be here tonight."

"They're family." Jake said. "And you know you love them!"

"I know." Kate said as she and Jake got out of his Mustang. Tony was very jealous of the 1956 blue Ford that Jake had inherited from his Great Uncle Richard. "I wouldn't have it e any other way." She added.

"Hey," Jake said as he took the potato salad from Kate. "Look on the bright side."

"What bright side?" Kate asked sounding confused.

"You won't have to tell everybody like eight times." Jake said.

Kate laughed and kissed his cheek and ran a hand over the tip of his Mohawk. "I'm going to miss this when you get back from Quantico."

"Me too." Jake said as he opened the front door. "I was pumped when they let me keep it at FLETC."

"Did you hear that?" Sam Hanna asked the assembled group in the living room. "I got Brooke to laugh!"

"Sam," Kate said from the doorway into the living room. "She's 16 months. She's been laughing at everything Tony does since she was four months."

Sam rolled his eyes as Cassie Callen-Gibbs whined "Dada!"

Callen scooped up his three almost four year old daughter. "What's up, Pumpkin?"

"Cassie hungey." Cassie dutifully informed her father and stuck her hand in her mouth like her Uncle Jay-Jay used to do.

"Well," Callen said as he looked at his little sister (he'd agreed to an adult adoption the previous spring and was now officially a Gibbs), "if Auntie Kate and Mr. Jake had been earlier we could already be eating." He said teasingly.

"What held you up, Princess?" Jethro asked his daughter.

"Jet got loose again." Kate said with a shrug. "He followed one of my students home and Sam, my student, is watching him for me while we're here."

"Damn dog caused me more headaches while you were in school." Jethro said as he scooped up Brianna as she tried to walk along the couch. "He used to escape on a regular basis."

"Where's Tony and Tim?" Kate asked Cynthia as she came out to grab everybody for dinner.

"Grilling up dinner," Cynthia replied as she took her daughter from her husband. Cassie went willingly to her mother because she knew that if Mommy was here it was almost time to eat.

"And they haven't burned down the house yet?" Kate asked.

Ziva nodded. She winced and rubbed her hand over her stomach. She was eight months pregnant with her and Tony's first child, a girl who they were planning on naming Tali Rose DiNozzo. "It is a miracle in and of itself." She commented.

"I'll say." Jake said as he reappeared in the doorway. He'd been kidnapped by his future mother-in-law when she saw the potato salad he'd carried in.

"Are they ready for us yet, Mom?" Kate asked.

"They said they'd send Jay-Jay or Charlie in when they were." Jenny replied.

Kate's smile grew. "Mr. Hanna," she said to Sam in a mock serious tone. "I am qui shocked that you didn't tell me that Charlie was going to be in my class!"

Sam just shrugged as Callen Gibbs Slapped him. "Jean didn't know if it was you or not. We didn't want to jump to conclusions."

"And now I'm going to go in tomorrow and I can guarantee he's going to ask me, in the middle of class mind you, why Jake's hair is so tall." Kate said.

"Not my fault!" Sam said. "Don't blame me. Vance was the one to reassign us all before he let Jenny take her chair back."

"Stupid tooth pick chewing nimrod." Kate muttered as Jay-Jay came barreling into the room.

"Tony an' Timmy said dinner's ready." He said breathlessly. "And they said that Ziva gets to get her food first 'cause of the baby."

Ziva was helped to her feet by Kate and Jenny and she waddled out to the back patio to eat.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Two hours later around seven thirty the little girls were asleep in the twins' room and the boys were up in Jay-Jay's room playing WWE Raw vs. Smackdown 2013 on the PS3. The adults had gone back into the living room and were entertaining themselves with small talk and Callen's favorite undercover missions.

"Kate and I have an announcement to make," Jake said to the group after Callen finished his tale on the LA Legend Fiasco that Kate and McGee had been present for.

Kate leaned in against Jake on the loveseat and smiled softly. He looked at her and nodded for her to continue on.

"We're getting married!" she cried happily as she thrust her left hand out to show off her engagement ring.

Abby, Ziva, Jenny, Cynthia, and Jean all squealed happily and pulled Kate out of the loveseat to hear the details on Jake's proposal.

"Jake," Jethro said.

"Yes, Sir?" Jake responded slightly nervous as he took in the faces of Kate's 'brothers'.

"You do anything to hurt my Princess," Jethro said to Jake in a dangerously low tone. "And I will make you regret the day you laid eyes on her in the fourth grade. You understand me?"

Jake nodded. "Yes, Mr. Gibbs."

"Ahh, hell." Jethro said. "Call me Jethro, son. We're family now."

Jake felt himself relax as Tim and Tony winked at him. Callen however, well in the typical fashion of an overprotective, overbearing brother, he was still glaring at Jake. Sam, not being as deeply involved in the family was indifferent to this announcement and grabbed the lucky man another bottle of A&W Root Beer.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**November 2013, Jay-Jay's 10****th**** Birthday**

Kate sighed as she supervised her class' French lesson. The French teacher, Madame DeFarge (The teachers at GWC had all decided that it was the best name for a French teacher ever!) As Shelly DeFarge rambled on about La Grenouille and the dog, Kate's mind wandered to the mysterious voicemail her mother had left her that morning. She had called and asked that she and Jake be an hour early to the birthday dinner they had planned for Jay-Jay. Kate was a little worried that this would be about the results from Jay-Jay's visit to the neurologist the month before.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

That night at Kate and Jake noticed that they had beat the team to the Gibbs home in Anacostia.

"This isn't good." Kate said nervously. "They asked us to be here an hour early and Jay-Jay's results should be coming back any day now…"

"Hey," Jake said as he squeezed Kate's hand. "It's going to be okay. He's still the same kid he was three months ago. We just know why he can't focus in school. That's all that's changed."

Kate nodded. "I still have this niggling feeling in my gut that something's wrong."

Jake sighed. "There's no convincing a Gibbs Gut that everything is going to be okay is there?"

Kate shook her head. "Dad says it's impossible to even try."

"I believe it." Jake said as he kissed Kate's temple. "It's okay." He whispered.

Kate nodded and let them into the house. "Mom? Dad? We're here!" she called and Jake closed the door behind them.

"KATIE!!!" Jay-Jay came flying down the stairs and launched himself at Kate.

"Hey there, Jay-Jay!" Kate said happily. "Happy Birthday, Squirt."

"Thanks!" Jay said happily. "I'm supposed to be up in my room with the girls until Mom calls me down…"

"I'd get back up there if I was you, Mister." Jake said as he heard Jenny's heels on the stairs coming up from the basement. "Your Mom's coming up here now."

Jay-Jay's eyes grew wide and he turned around and sprinted back up to his room for safety. He didn't want to ruin whatever his Mom had planned for his birthday.

Kate bit her lip nervously as she took one look at Jenny. Her step mother was holding a large glass of bourbon and it was only three thirty in the afternoon. Kate was very nervous now.

"The results came back." Kate said quietly. It wasn't a question and Jenny knew it.

"Come downstairs." Jenny said. "We can talk down there."

Kate and Jake followed Jenny back down into the basement and sank onto the couches in front of the amazing entertainment system Tony had given them for Christmas quite a few years back.

Jethro came into the finished portion of the basement through his nifty door in the sheet rock and sat on the arm of the chair behind Jenny. Kate could tell something was wrong immediately when she saw the drying tear tracks on her father's face.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked carefully not wanting to set his future in-laws off.

"Jay-Jay has Asperger's Syndrome." Jethro chocked out.

"Asper-what?" Jake asked.

Kate felt like she'd just been punched in the stomach. "Oh my God." She whispered.

"Asperger's Syndrome," Jethro croaked again, "It's well…" he bit his lip and couldn't continue.

"It's a form of Autism." Jenny finished.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Cliffy! Kinda. Next chapter will be how the rest of their family reacts to the news of Jay-Jay's diagnosis. Some of his experiences will be based on what my own brother went through. Each case is different, that I can tell you for a fact. One of my former classmates from kindergarten through fifth grade had a severe case of Asperger's Syndrome, and the kids at CCD from another elementary school used to make fun of him. I just snapped one day in the ninth grade (we made Confirmation in the spring of our Sophmore year {10th Grade}) and told them all to shut up because he couldn't help how he was and that my brother had just been diagnosed with the same form of Autism. Needless to say they left him alone after that and looked at me differently after that; I'm the quiet girl in the corner nobody expects to explode when she gets very angry. And boy did I explode that day…

REVIEW PLEASE!!!!


	28. School and Surprises Part Two

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**November 2013**

"Autism?" Jake echoed Jenny.

Jenny nodded.

"Damn." Jake said.

Kate felt the tears welling up and blinked a few times to keep them at bay."Is he going to be okay?" she asked her parents.

Jenny nodded. "We just need to put him in a social skills program and make sure he stays in Boy Scouts for a few years so he can make friends."

Kate sighed with a little relief as the tears just fell from her eyes.

"Are…Are you going to tell the team and Callen?" Jake asked them.

"We told Callen on the phone before you got here." Jethro said. "According to Cynthia he punched a hole in the wall in his den and need to get his hand x-rayed."

"Hettie's going to be pissed about that." Kate said. "She lost Sam to you and now Callen's got a broken hand, again because of you. Smooth move Dad."

Jethro sighed. "Not my fault." He muttered and took a swig from his bourbon.

"Shit." Kate said as she realized what she had implied. "I didn't mean it's your fault this happened, I just meant…"

Jethro raised his eyebrows and gave Kate a knowing look to get her to shut up.

"So," Jake said trying to lighten the mood of the adults. "Do you need any help with dinner, Jenny?"

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

An hour and a half later, Jethro was putting the finishing touches on his signature chicken cacciatore dish that Jay-Jay had requested for dinner.

"Is dinner going to be ready soon?" Jay-Jay whined from the kitchen doorway.

Jethro turned around and smiled when he looked at his son. The boy's red hair was sticking up in all directions thanks to the noogie he'd received from Tony, his shirt was un-tucked and covered in baby food from Brooke and Brianna, and there was a spit-up stain on his shoulder from baby Tali DiNozzo.

"Go change your shirt." Jethro ordered. "And no super hero tee shirts either."

Jay-Jay sighed. "Why do I hafta change?"

"Have you seen what's joined Luke Skywalker on the front of it?" Jethro asked his son.

Jay-Jay looked down at his Star Wars tee shirt and groaned when he realized Brooke and Brianna had wiped their hands on his shirt again; they hugged him and then used him for a napkin quite frequently.

"Fine." Jay-Jay said as he turned and headed for the back stairs.

"Wear one of the collared ones your mom bought you for your birthday." Jethro said to a retreating Jay-Jay, "You don't want to be ungrateful."

"But I hate collared shirts." Jay-Jay said.

"Get used to 'em, Munchkin." Kate said happily as she carried her goddaughter into the kitchen to make her a bottle.

"Don't call me that!" Jay-Jay growled as he stopped up the steps to his room.

"What's his problem?" Kate asked her father as he took Tali and Kate mixed the bottle.

"I told him to put on a nice, clean shirt." Jethro replied. "And he gave me attitude."

"I smell teenage-dom approaching and fast." Kate said with a smirk. "Thankfully for you, you've already successfully handled a teenage daughter. A teenage son will be a walk in the park compared to a girl."

"So I'm told." Jethro said to his daughter. "I'll believe that when I see it."

Kate stuck her tongue out and took Tali back from her father. "Hey there, Baby girl." She whispered to the cooing infant. "Are you hungry? Your Imma says it's your dinner time so I imagine you're going to start crying very soon."

Tali just cooed some more but greedily sucked on the bottle once the rubber nipple was placed in her mouth.

"Oh, aren't you the quietest little baby ever?" Kate cooed at Tali as she carried her back out to the living room. "Oh yes you are! You're so well behaved for your Auntie Kate."

"Lucky you." Tony croaked from his old football beanbag chair in the corner. He pulled a throw pillow off of his face and looked at Kate. "She cries all night keeping me and Ziva awake. On purpose."

Kate giggled and kissed Tali's forehead. "She's a month and a half, Tony. She's too small to be deliberately mean to her Daddy."

"She's evil." Tony said sleepily. "TR is out to get me."

"TR?" Kate echoed in disbelief. "There is no way in _hell_ you are calling my Goddaughter 'TR'." She said firmly. "Her name is Tali, Tony. She's named after her Auntie Talia, and it's a pretty name and you should use it."

Tony looked at Kate guiltily.

"Cut the man some slack, Kate." Tim said as he looked up from his net book. The computer savvy NCIS Agent was busy hacking into some government computer system for a case. "He's sleep deprived and Gibbs is working us like dogs."

"Dogs are treated better than we are." Tony moaned as he put the throw pillow back over his face.

"Where'd Abby, Ziva, Mom, and the girls go?" Kate asked McGee as she sank into an empty armchair.

"Downstairs," McGee said absentmindedly. "Damn firewalls," he muttered. "They said to send you down when you finished mixing Tali's bottle."

"I finished mixing the bottle." Kate said. "Or could you not tell because you're trying to hack into the CIA, again."

"How'd you know I was hacking the… never mind." McGee said. "You're a Gibbs."

"Smooth move, Tim." Tony said. "I'm telling Abby you're delaying the spreading of her good news because you're too busy hacking into the CIA to let Kate know they want her downstairs."

"Thanks, Tony." Tim said. "Kate don't cut him any slack. It's Tony."

Kate laughed and took the still eating baby down to the basement to see what the big deal with Abby was.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"Good!" Abby said as she saw Kate come down the stairs. "Everybody's here."

"What's up, Abby?" Kate asked as she sat in the vacant spot between her mother and Ziva.

"I'm adopting!" Abby squealed happily.

"Adopting what Abby?" Ziva asked. "Another dog perhaps?"

"Nope." Abby said with a big grin on her face. "But good guess, Ziva."

"A cat then," Jenny said.

"Are you crazy, Director?" Abby said. "My Jethro with a cat? I don't think so! Oh, and I don't think that you're crazy because SecNav wouldn't let crazy people run NCIS, and I don't want you to think that I think that you're crazy. Because you could fire me, and I need my job so I can adopt Sam. And if I can't adopt Sam I don't know what's going to happen to him…"

"Abby!" Kate said with a laugh. "Breathe."

"Right," Abby said. "Sorry."

"Who's Sam?" Kate asked her as she handed Tali to Ziva.

"The little boy I'm adopting." Abby said point blank like it was common knowledge.

"Your adopting a _kid?_" Jenny asked in shock.

"Yes I am!" Abby said happily. "You want to see pictures of him?" she asked them, she was eager to show off her soon to be son.

"Yes." The three women chorused and Brooke and Brianna just babbled on in their own little language.

"Okay!" Abby said happily as she pulled some wires out of a pocket of her Tripp pants and hooked her digital camera up to the plasma screen TV. "Here he is!"

"Oh my God." Kate said as the picture came up on screen. "Abby! You're adopting one of my kids!"

"One of your kids?" Jenny echoed. "Since when do you have any kids?"

"My students." Kate said correcting herself. "That's the little boy that dog sat Jet for us the night Jake and I announced our engagement."

"Ahh." Abby said. "That's why he seemed so excited when I said I had a dog named Jethro and so did my friend Kate. I told him they were named after her dad."

"That's what I told him when he asked me about Jet's name." Kate said as Brooke climbed into her lap. "Hey Bumble Bee," Kate said to her baby sister. "What you up to?"

"Kay-ee!" Brooke said happily as she tried in vain to squirm away from her sister's fingers that were tickling her.

"Bumble Bee!" Kate said as she held onto the little girl. "Can you say Kay?"

"Kay!" Brooke said happily. "You Kay-Kay!"

"Close enough." Kate said as she kissed the top of Brooke's head.

"Who dat?" The eighteen month old girl asked as she pointed to Sam's picture on the screen.

"Sam." Kate said. "Abby's going to be his Mommy soon."

"Mommy?" Brooked asked curiously.

"Mommy." Kate said. Brooke pointed to her mommy.

"Mommy!" Brooke proudly proclaimed. "Abby Mommy!"

"Abby's going to be a Mommy is right." Kate said.

Brianna felt left out of the family huddle on the couch and pulled herself up and toddled to her Mommy. "Mommy!" she cried. "Bwi want up!"

Jenny smiled and scooped up Bri and settled the little girl onto her lap. "What does McGee think about adopting the boy?" she asked Abby.

"Timmy can't wait until we bring him home!" Abby gushed. "We already asked him what color he wanted his room painted and want kind of bed he wants. And he's excited because I told him Jethro could sleep in his room if he wanted him to…"

"Abby," Kate said as she placed Brooke on her Mom's lap. "That's great!" She pulled Abby into a bear hug and spun the older woman around. "What brought this decision on?"

"The whole thing with Will." Abby replied. Kate smiled as she thought of Abby's much younger brother whom had spent the majority of his life living with his older sister. "I felt so good about being an authoritive adult figure and McGee and I felt we were ready to become parents. We figured that adopting would be a good choice because there are so many foster kids with no families and I want to help them. We might have one or two of our own, but for now we're starting small."

"Small is good." Ziva said with a soft smile as Tali began to drift off to sleep. "See how small Tali is?" Ziva asked Bri and Bee.

The twins nodded. "Wittle." Bri said as she looked at Tali.

"Big." Bee said as she pointed to herself and to her older sister.

"That's right," Jenny said with a smile. "My Harvard bound babies are at it again!"

"Careful Mom," Kate said in a warning tone. "They just might end up at Harvard and zap your bank account dry."

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

After dinner all talk of the pending adoption, Jay-Jay's diagnosis and a certain somebody's upcoming training at Quantico was put aside and Jay-Jay dove into a pile of presents from his family.

"Who's it from?" Jenny asked her son as he ripped the paper off of a large box.

"Callen and Cynthia." Jay-Jay said as he ripped the paper off of the box and ripped open the UPS box. "What is it?" he asked his mother.

"Open it and find out." Jenny said.

Jay-Jay pulled the flaps back and pulled out some packing peanuts. "Way cool!" he shouted as he pulled out a Lego Star Wars set and some WWE Action figures.

Jay-Jay pushed the now empty box out of the way and reached for the box from Ducky.

Jay-Jay received a WWE ring play set complete with Triple H and Hulk Hogan action figures from Ducky, all six Star Wars movies on BluRay from Tony, Ziva, and Tali; a Kids Khemistry set and a SpongeBob Squarepants box set from Abby and Tim; a Boston Red Sox jersey and hat from Will who was at Harvard Law; and _The Complete Adventures of Captain Underpants_ _and Super Diaper Baby_ along with _Artemis Fowl_ from Kate and Jake.

Jay-Jay was now practically bouncing in his seat. His parents had promised him a big gift this year, but there were no more boxes or bags on the table. Just some half full glasses of milk left over from dinner.

"Time for cake!" Jenny said as Jethro slipped out of the dining room and successfully distracted Jay-Jay.

"Yay!" The ten year old exclaimed. "Cake and ice cream!"

Jethro's departure went un-noticed by his son, and Kate carried the marbled cake with chocolate fudge frosting into the dining room and placed it in front of the birthday boy.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Jay-Jay! Happy Birthday to you!" The family sang to the not so little boy.

Jay-Jay comically scrunched up his face and blew out the ten blue and white stripped candles on his cake as he made his wish.

Jenny cut up the cake and divvied up the slices. As soon as the cake and ice cream, chocolate chip cookie dough, Jay-Jay's favorite, was eaten, Jethro slid back into the room.

"Jay-Jay," Jethro said to his son as Jenny handed him his slice of cake. "Your present from your mother, me, and Uncle Mike is out back."

"Sweet!" Jay-Jay cried as he shot out of his chair and practically bounced off of the walls down the hall and through the kitchen to the back door.

"No way!" Jay-Jay cried from the back yard. "A puppy!"

Rolling around in the yard was a lanky, awkward looking, six month old German Sheppard puppy. She was a beautiful brown with a big black patch of fur on her back.

"What's his name, Dad?" Jay-Jay asked excitedly as the dog ran up to her new master and began covering him in kisses.

"Her." Jethro corrected his son. The former Marine seemed to squirm for a minute before answering Jay-Jay's query. "And her name is Tinkerbell." He said with a straight face.

"For real?" Kate asked her father in disbelief as she scooped up one of the twins as they tried to toddle down the steps on the back deck.

"Wicked awesome!" Jay-Jay cried and he wrapped his arms around Tinkerbell. "I love her, Daddy!"

The women let out a collective "Awww," as Tink licked Jay-Jay's face and the boy kissed her cheek.

"Can we move back into the house where it's warmer?" Jenny asked after a few minutes.

Jay-Jay nodded and ran for the house. It took a few seconds for Tinkerbell to register to follow, but once it did, she took off like a rocket and went after Jay-Jay.

Bee and Bri squirmed in the arms of their older sister and her fiancé to be put on the ground to play with Tink.

"Puppy!" Bee cried happily.

"Bri puppy!" Brianna stated firmly.

"No!" Brooke cried. "Bee puppy!"

"Nope." Kate said to Bee as she put the girl down on the kitchen floor. "Jay-Jay's puppy."

The twins pouted but they knew Kate was right; Tinkerbell was Jay-Jay's dog.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**Christmas Eve 2013**

Kate curled up to a buzz cut sporting Jake and watched the Twins and Jay-Jay wrestle with Tinkerbell. Cassie sat on her Daddy's lap glaring at the puppy that was hogging **her** Uncle Jay-Jay's attention.

Cynthia, Jenny and Ziva were up in the kitchen plotting something and had banished Kate to the basement. Kate had a feeling they were already planning her bachelorette party and she and Jake hadn't set a date for their wedding yet. Tony had a sleeping Tali on his chest as they watched _It's a Wonderful Life_ in the basement.

"Where are McGoo and Abby?" Tony asked Kate. "They're never this late."

"Abby just called and apologized." Jethro said as he came down the basement stairs. "They're running behind schedule tonight."

"Me miss Abby." Bee informed her father as he scooped the girl up and settled onto the couch.

"Is that so, Bumble Bee?" Jethro asked as he tickled the little red head.

Brooke just shrieked with laughter as she squirmed in her father's lap as he tickled her.

Twenty minutes later Abby and McGee arrived with a few surprises.

"Sam!" Kate cried happily as she saw her student standing at the top of the stairs in the doorway. "Come on down, Buddy!"

"Miss Gibbs!" Sam cried happily as he saw somebody he recognized. "What are you doing here?"

"I used to live here." Kate said dead panned. "Then I moved out."

"Oh." Same said as he came down the stairs.

Sam got out of the way just in time; a young man came barreling down the stairs behind Sam.

"KATIE!" the young man cried. He had black hair, green eyes and pale skin dotted with freckles. "Didcha miss me?" he asked as he swung Sam around in a circle, set the boy down and then proceeded to pull Kate to her feet.

"Who are you again?" Kate asked jokingly.

"Aww." The man pouted and he hugged Kate. "But you love me anyways, right?"

Kate grinned evilly. "I'm afraid you're three months too late, Romeo." She said as she showed off her engagement ring.

"GASP!" 'Romeo' cried. "I challenge the knave who gave you that ring to a duel!"

"I accept your challenge!" Jake cried as he hopped off of the couch. "How shall we conduct it Good Sir?"

'Romeo' seemed to think about it as Tony turned off the movie and Bee toddled over to 'Romeo' and handed him one of the throw pillows from the couch.

"Why, thank you Princess Bee." 'Romeo' said to the toddler.

"You funny." Bee replied with a giggle as 'Romeo' and Jake proceeded to beat the snot out of each other with pillows.

"Miss Gibbs," Sam began nervously.

"Sweetie," Kate said interrupting him. "Outside of school I'm Auntie Kate. Abby's practically my sister."

Sam nodded and slid into Jakes vacated seat next to Kate. "Auntie Kate," he said hesitantly trying out the name, "Are they allowed to do that?" He was pointing at the pillow fight in front of them.

"I don't know." Kate replied honestly. "Dad?" she asked her father, "You got a rule on pillow fights in the basement?"

Jethro shook his head 'no'. "No, not yet."

"GASP!" 'Romeo' cried melodramatically. "King Gibbs may create a new law prohibiting our form of duel for the fair Princess Katie!"

"I'm inclined to agree with King Gibbs." Callen chimed in as Cassie tried to join the ruckus. "What say you Lord Tony?"

"I feel inclined to acquiesce to your request Prince Callen." Tony said playing along with the game that was played almost every time 'Romeo' came home from school.

"What's dat mean?" Cassie piped in and stopped squirming under 'The Look' from her father.

"That's the opposite of the thing from Pirates of the Caribbean!" Jay-Jay said quickly. "So it's gotta mean yes."

"As usual, Prince Jethro Jasper is correct." Jake said with a smile and then was hit in the face with a pillow.

"Quite right, Sir Jacob!" 'Romeo' said with a straight face after his sneak attack. "But I so totally won that round. Right bro?"

"Course you did, Will!" Kate said to Abby's baby brother. "Nobody defends my honor quite like you do Scuito!"

Will grinned his version of the DiNozzo charm smile and Kate had to laugh. To the ladies outside of their wacky family, that smile was irresistible. To the women of the family it was the 'Do you really really love me?' smile.

"Unca Will." Cassie said quietly. "I have piggy back ride?"

"Sure thing, Cee-Cee!" The twenty one year old proclaimed as Cynthia opened the basement door.

"Dinner!" she called. "No dinner, no presents!"

Jay-Jay and his new partner in crime, Sam, raced up the stairs with Tink on their heels. Jethro and Callen helped the twins up the stairs with Will carrying Cassie on his back. Kate, Jake and Tony brought up the rear along with McGee.

"How was Tali's first Chanukah?" McGee asked Tony.

Tony groaned. "Let's _**not**_ talk about that, Probie."

"That bad?" Kate asked.

"Well I'm pretty sure Eli tried to kill me with those potato pancakes…" Tony responded with a shudder.

Kate just laughed. "Well, he can't kill you anymore. And that's killing him. You're married to his daughter and her baby Daddy. He has to deal with it whether he likes it or not."

"True." Tony said as they approached the dining room.

"Plus Ziva would just kill him if he succeeded in killing you." Kate added and it was Tony's turn to laugh.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**Monday, February 10, 2014**

Kate's class zoomed through their Monday morning routine and were quickly approaching snack recess when Kate remembered it was a Show and Tell Week. Every two weeks Kate liked to liven things up on Fridays by having Show and Tell in the morning, and in the afternoon a little quiz on what the kids had seen in the morning.

At first it had been alphabetically by last name, but now the kids had to volunteer on Monday to participate. If not enough kids volunteered or too many volunteered, Kate would put in names in an old Marine Corp service cap she'd taken from her father or Callen years ago and pick out names.

Today it seemed like the entire class wanted to participate in Show and Tell on Friday. But there was one name on the list that would be presenting regardless. Sam James had incredibly big news and he'd have the best Show and Tell presentation that class would see all year.

**Wednesday, February 12**

Sam hadn't been in school since Monday. Kate wasn't concerned, but a few of his classmates kept asking if Sam was sick. The adoption had been finalized on Tuesday, and today after everybody got out of work, Abby and Tim were taking everybody out to dinner at a restaurant of Sam's choice to celebrate. Kate smiled at the thought of her new nephew bouncing around Abby and Tim's place at the moment and went back to correcting the math papers on her desk.

**Friday, February 14****th****; Valentine's Day**

Show and Tell was at 9:30 and Kate could see that it got closer and closer Sam was just about bursting from excitement.

When Mrs. Tyree showed up with Andy's new hamster at quarter past nine, Sam's hand shot up into the air like a bullet.

"Yes, Sam?" Kate asked fully knowing what he wanted.

"Can I go get my Show and Tell from the office?" he asked excitedly as he began to put away his English book.

"Yes you may." Kate said and looked out the window overlooking the parking lot. She saw that Abby's hearse was here, along with her parents' SUV; Ziva and Tony's minivan (Ziva's driving had calmed down greatly upon the birth of her daughter; she finally understood nobody put IEDs on I95…); and Will's green F-150 was circling the lot looking for a space.

At nine thirty Sam hadn't returned yet, but Kate started anyways.

Andy Tyree was first with his new hamster named 'Spots'.

As Andy was putting Spots back into her carrier Sam opened the door to the Cubby room that was between the classroom and hallway. Kate raised her right index finger to her lips to let her family know to stay quiet.

The kids in the classroom couldn't see the mob of people that had appeared in the cubby room, but they could sure hear them.

Kate motioned for Sam to come out of the cubby room and he bounded out with a giant grin on his face.

Kate looked back to the cubby room and was surprised to see Callen and Cynthia among the motley crew in the small room. She smiled as Cassie tried to get down from her mother's arms to get to her beloved godmother, her Auntie Kate.

Sam stood in front of his classmates with a big face splitting grin on his face and he actually beamed at everybody looking at him. This was the happiest anybody in the class had seen Sam all year.

"This week something amazing happened." Sam said sounding more confident than his classmates had heard him. "I got adopted!"

The parents in the classroom, Mr. Tambone, Mrs. Tyree, Mrs. Chase, and Mrs. Johnson applauded and his classmates were a little puzzled.

"I got a new Mom," Sam said and Abby came into the classroom and hugged Sam in front of the entire class and ruffled his hair. "Mooom!" Sam protested with a smile.

Kate noticed that Abby wasn't wearing her big clunky boots or her usual dog collar. Abby had her hair in the normal twin braids, almost no makeup, a nice tee shirt with the school logo over a little pocket and skinny jeans. In place of the trademark boots were electric blue Converse.

"Her name is Abby Scuito-McGee." Sam told the class. "Like me. I'm Sam Scuito McGee now. "And I got a new dad,"

Tim came into the classroom dressed for work in his normal style; nice pants, dress shirt, no tie, sports coat, and black shoes. Kate saw the tell tale bulge around his belt where his SIG was under his jacket and when his jacket moved just the right way she saw the glint of his badge under the fluorescent lights.

"Tim McGee." Sam said as Tim hugged him and stood behind him keeping one hand on the boy's shoulder. "They both work for NCIS. That stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service. My Dad's a Special Agent and Mom is a for-en-sic scientist. She has two last names cuz she and Dad work together and if their boss, Gibbs, yells 'McGee!' they both turn around."

The class burst into giggles and Tim and Abby bumped shoulders.

"I got an Uncle Will," Sam said keeping on with his introductions to his classmates and Will pulled a reluctant looking Ellie, his fiancé, in with him.

"Uncle Will is my Mom's younger brother." Sam informed the class. "He goes to Harvard Law School and doesn't use his rs in words. And that's my Auntie Ellie. She and Uncle Will are gonna get married after Uncle Will finishes college."

Sam glanced over at his new family and tried to decide who he'd introduce next when Cassie made the decision for him. She had managed to be put on the ground and yanked her hand out of her mother's and shot out of the cubby room like a torpedo.

"Auntie Kate!" Cassie squealed happily as she made a running leap at her Godmother. Kate caught her with a practiced ease.

"Shhh!" Kate said as she raised a finger to her lips.

Cassie copied the motion and the pretended to zip up her lips.

"That's Cassie." Sam said completely unfazed by Cassie jumping out of nowhere like that. With this family there was very little that fazed them anymore. "She does that cuz she lives in Los Angeles with her parents and doesn't get to see Miss Gibbs a lot."

"Nope nope." Cassie said to Sam. "Daddy and Mommy says we moving heres. And we gonna live with Grampy and Nana and Uncle Jay-Jay and Bee and Bri and Tink until Mommy and Daddy buy a house."

"Cool!" Sam said as he began to bounce up and down in excitement. "Well," he bit his lip. He wasn't sure who to introduce next. Will caught on to Sam's dilemma and whispered something into Sam's ear causing the boy's face to light up again and he began nodding in agreement to whatever Will was saying.

"And the best part is I got grandparents too." Sam said. "My Gammy and Papa McGee couldn't be here cuz they're on a cruise to Hawaii and Auntie Sarah is someplace not here."

Kate giggled and McGee shrugged. His sister and her friends had decided to go AWOL that week from school and hit the slopes in Colorado for some reason.

"But," Sam said proudly "Grampy Gibbs and Nana Jenny are here." Jethro and Jenny came out each carrying a twin and Jay-Jay trailed behind them looking at Sam's classmates uncertainly. "Grampy Gibbs is my parents' boss and Miss Gibbs's Dad." He informed his classmates. "He's a Marine and he builds a boat in his backyard!"

Jethro shrugged his shoulders and Kate rolled her eyes. "Another one?" she mouthed and Jethro nodded.

"Nana Jenny is Grampy's boss cuz she's the Director of NCIS." Sam said proudly. "She has lunch with Senators and sometimes the President."

Jenny smiled at the announcement from Sam. The little boy kept going on, "They have five kids, Uncle Callen," Callen came out with Cynthia and Cassie wanted to be let down to see her father. Kate complied and the girl went to her Daddy. "And he's married to Auntie Cynthia and Cassie is their daughter. Grampy and Nana adopted Uncle Callen too." Sam added and Callen gave the kid a high five.

"Then there's Auntie Kate." Sam said and Kate took her place in the crowd growing behind Sam. She heard her class gasp because Sam had used a teacher's first name. "Auntie Kate's my teacher, but next week she's not gonna be. I'm switching classes cuz Mr. Waters says I can't be in my Auntie's class." Sam stuck out his tongue because he'd rather stay in Kate's class. But it was school policy and they had to follow it. "And then there's Jay-Jay," Sam said excitedly and Jay-Jay smiled a beaming smile that blinded his sister. "He's my age so I don't have to call him Uncle Jay-Jay."

"Cuz that's weird." Jay-Jay piped in and he and Sam dissolved into giggles.

"Sam," Abby says and Sam stops giggling until Bee reaches over and pulls his hair. Then he and the twins both start giggling with Jay-Jay.

"Sorry, Mom." Sam finally gasps out. "Grampy is holding Brooke and Nana is holding Brianna. They're the babies of the family and Auntie Kate's baby sisters. They're two. Almost."

Sam looked into the cubby room and saw Tony and Ziva were hiding Kate's surprise behind them still. "Then there's Uncle Tony and Auntie Ziva." Sam said. "They work with my parents and Grampy and Nana too." Sam said as tony and Ziva came out and Kate was preoccupied with Bee who wanted to be held by her big sister. "They have a new baby named Tali. She's four months old."

Ziva was holding the baby who was blinking owlishly taking in her new surroundings; she'd just woken up from her nap.

"Cuz Miss Gibbs is my Auntie Kate," Sam was saying to the class. "Mr. Jake's gonna be my Uncle Jake when he and Auntie Kate get married."

Kate's jaw dropped when she saw Jake standing in the cubby room all by himself. He moved into the doorway between the two rooms as Kate stood there looking like a fish out of water.

"Jake?" she managed to croak out. "How? The Academy?"

Jake just smiled and chuckled. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kate."

Kate let out an undignified, happy squeal and launched herself at her fiancé. Anticipating this reaction, Jake had moved away from the wall and braced himself. Kate enveloped him in a bear hug because she knew if they started kissing that some non-school appropriate activities would follow.

Kate's students and brothers laughed at her reaction and her parents smiled a knowing smile.

Kate blushed before reluctantly letting go of Jake and turned to face her class. She decided that her dignity was shot to hell and that there was no hope in getting that back in that instant. "Mr. Ryan has been at the FBI Academy in Quantico and I've missed him very, very much."

Cassidy's hand shot up in the air.

"Yes, Cassidy?" Kate asked.

"Are you gonna be Miss Gibbs still when you get married?" the blond girl asked curiously.

"No." Kate said. "I'll be Mrs. Ryan when I get married this summer."

Andy Tyree's hand shot up next. "Yes, Andy?" Kate said.

"Is Sam's family staying for the Valentine's Day party?" Andy asked curiously.

"Yeah!"

"Can they?"

"Please, Miss Gibbs?"

"Pretty please?" The class begged her.

Kate looked over at her parents and back to her class. "It's not up to me guys." She told them as she sent her mother a sly glance. "It's up to their boss, Director Gibbs."

As if on cue, everybody took a large step away from Jenny.

"Well, Madame Director?" Jake asked as he and Kate took the twins from her parents. Bee went to Kate and Jake took Bri.

Jenny smiled and rolled her eyes at the antics of her family. "As long as you don't…Mmmrph! EFF-ROW!!!"

"Finish that sentence Jenn, and we might get a call." Jethro informed his wife. "And Sam here has final say in whether we stay or not."

Sam turned around and looked up at Jethro. "I want you guys to stay Grampy!" he joyfully exclaimed. "Please?" he added.

Sam was suddenly mobbed by his friends when Kate announced it was time for recess. Kate separated herself from Jake and apologized to the other parents for the amount of time Sam's presentation had taken. She was afraid that the parents would riot about the amount of time Sam had gotten.

Her worries were assuaged by Mr. Tambone. "The boy has a new family to show off, Miss Gibbs. It's perfectly fine."

Kate smiled as she felt some of her stress disappear and she led her class and her brother out to the playground.

On the way out Jay-Jay slid his hand into Kate's right hand and smiled up at his sister. Sam slid his hand into her other hand and pulled her along to the monkey bars.

"Betcha can't cross those without falling off!" Kate challenged the two boys and they were off. They were determined to prove Kate wrong.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Sorry for my lack of updates! My mom thought it would be a good idea to ban me from the computer during vacation week. Not fun at all. I spent three days in New Hampshire writing chapters during down time, and the rest of the week either working or sitting up in my room writing some more. I've got several chapters that I may or may not post depending on how they come out.

And on a very happy note I finally got out on my date with _my_ Jake. He's the current muse behind Jake (the Mohawk and piercings at least). It went well and I went back to school after my vacation feeling a little bit better than I normally would have.

Will Scuito and his fiancé Ellie are from surferdude8225's new story Another Scuito in the Family which is located on this site. Show her some love in the form of reviews and you'll see my stories get updated :). Plus I'm guest authoring a chapter from Kate Gibbs's POV. It's going to be interesting to see how I can handle writing in the first person…

Later!

~Gibby


	29. SWAK

I'm baaaaaack! I know I have no excuse for lack of updating. Real life's a bitch. That's all I'm saying. So enjoy and REVIEW!!!

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

**SWAK**

**May 2005**

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"McGee!" fourteen year old Kate Gibbs heard Special Agent Tony DiNozzo say. "Kate here's never been Saki bombing."

Kate looked at her father who just shrugged Kate interpreted that the Kate Tony was talking about was Special Agent Kate Todd, "Big" Kate whenever Kate Gibbs came into the office.

McGee's answer was inaudible as Kate and her dad made their way from the elevator to the Bull Pen. She had tagged along with her dad, Senior Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs today to escape her teething baby brother. He was spending the day with Mrs. Ducky.

Tim's answer must have been a form of "No, Tony, I haven't done that," because Kate heard Tony say,

"I work with a pair of wankers!"

"And you make three, DiNozzo." Gibbs said as he breezed into the Bull Pen with his coffee and Kate trailing along behind him.

Tony grimaced as he said "Morning Boss," and added a "Morning Boss-let" when he saw Kate trying to sneak in un-noticed.

"Morning," Kate Todd croaked out and Gibbs turned on his heal to face the former Secret Service Agent.

"Cold or flu?" he asked her and Katie Gibbs backed away from Kate T ever so slowly and towards Tony's desk.

"Just a plain old cold," Kate replied. "Don't worry," she said as she held up some tissues. "I will sneeze into my tissues. Unlike some people," She added as she stared at Tony.

"I have allergies, Kate." Tony said defensively.

"Never had allergies," Jethro chimed in from his desk as he booted up his computers. "Never had a cold."

"You never had a cold, Dad?" Katie asked him in disbelief.

"Nope." He said. "Never had the flu either."

"Why do I believe that?" Kate Todd whispered to the crowd in front of her desk; McGee, Katie, and Tony.

"If you were a bug would you attack Gibbs?" Tony whispered behind an envelope making Kate Todd giggle.

"I get colds all the time." McGee said as he handed Todd her mail.

"Sure you do, Probie." Tony responded quickly.

McGee ignored him. "Huh." Tim said when he came across an oddly addressed letter. "This one's just addressed to NCIS Special Agent."

"I think that's mine, McGee!" Tony said as he snatched the letter from Tim's hands.

"Hey!" McGee protested. "How do you know?"

Tony flipped the envelope over to show McGee a pair of lips on the backside. "I recognize the lips," he said in a sing song voice, "and the scent…"

"Gummy bears?" Kate Todd asked as McGee went over to his desk and Tony sliced of the side of the envelope with his letter opener.

Kate Gibbs stood next to Tony's desk and watched him joke with Kate Todd as he popped the side of the envelope open.

"Kate," Jethro said as he looked at something on his screen. "Come take a look at this."

Kate turned around just as Tony blew across the top of the envelope and a fine white powder was dispersed over Tony and Kate. Kate felt the powder cover her and some of it went up her nose as she inhaled. She froze in shock as her father climbed the top of his desk and whistled to get the attention of the third floor occupants.

"We've opened a letter with white powder." He said to the room as a hush fell over the usually loud floor. "Use the South East corridor to the holding room," he ordered. "You all know the drill."

Kate Todd threw a bottle of water at Tony and Katie, and then called the Emergency line to alert them of a possible biological attack and the evacuation of the third floor.

"McGee," Jethro snapped when his eyes fell on the dumbstruck Probie. "Are you up on procedures?"

Kate didn't hear McGee's reply. Her eyes were glued to Tony and her own white powder covered hands. She rinsed them off with the water mutely and heard Tony say,

"Lucky us." Tony said bringing Kate back to Earth. "Katie and I have won a free trip to Bethesda to pricked like pin cushions."

"Let's hit the showers, Tony!" Kate Todd ordered as she began a fast walk or slow jog to the decontamination showers.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Tony muttered as he walked, hunched over like the Hunch Back of Notre Dame, to the showers. "Sorry, Boss." He said as he paused in front of Gibbs' desk. "And I'm sorry you're day just got ruined, Katie."

Kate just shrugged and followed her father and Tony to the showers.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

For any fourteen year old girl, a locker room shower is that last shower they would willingly use. Even more so for Kate Gibbs when the other showers are occupied by your father, your pseudo brothers, and a pseudo cousin. To top that all off, it was the week of awkwardness and bitchy-ness that all teenage girls hate with a vengeance.

Kate stood under the warm spray of the shower head and scrubbed with the soap she'd been given as Tony began to complain.

"Who would send me a letter with Anthrax?" Tony whined.

"Pick a girl, Tony. Any girl." Big Kate cried from down the row of showers.

"Not me!" Little Kate chirped in. "I'd send you some Magnum PI DVDs."

"Thank you, Katie!" Tony said happily. "But this isn't funny, Todd!"

"Yeah, I know." Todd replied.

"This is serious!" Tony bit back sounding angry.

"I know, Tony! I'm sorry!" Kate Todd yelled over the shower's roar.

"This very instant someone is incinerating my Ermenegildo Zegna suit, my Armani tie, my Dolce and Gabana shirt, and my Gucci shoes!"

"Wanna paint our nails and swap secrets at a sleep over?" Katie asked giggling. "You're such a girl with your clothes!"

"Very funny." Tony said; Katie could _hear _the pout in his voice.

"You know it might not be Anthrax," McGee chimed in.

"I like the sound of that Probie!" Tony cried triumphantly.

"Yeah, it could be Small Pox, Bubonic Plague, Cholera, …"

Kate whimpered a little bit; she was afraid. After all she'd been covered in the powder as well and she'd gotten some of it up her nose too. Even over the roar of the showers Tony heard the little whimper that Jethro hadn't heard.

"PRBOBIE!" Tony thundered making them all jump. "Katie **is here.** She's in the same boat I am. So knock it off!"

Tim quickly switched tactics. An angry Tony was not a Tony anybody wanted to deal with. "Foot powder, face powder, talcum powder..." He'd honestly forgotten Katie was with them; she was in one of the stalls furthest away from him, and she had been uncharacteristically quiet all morning.

"Honey dust!" Tony cried suddenly having a 'Eureka!' moment.

"Honey dust?" McGee echoed Tony.

"Honey dust." Tony said again. "I give it to girls," Tony paused. "Women, sorry Big Kate," he could just _feel_ the glare being sent his way. "for Christmas."

"You finish you're explanation on that DiNozzo, and you'll _wish_ you had Anthrax." Jethro growled out startling his team.

"Why, Daddy?" Kate asked.

"You're too young to know what it is, Princess." Jethro said.

"Oh, okay." Kate said as she stepped back under the warm spray. She held her face underneath of the roaring water hoping the water drops pelting her face would make everything better.

"I've never heard of honey dust." McGee said.

"Well McGee," Big Kate said. "That's because your mother raised you to respect women."

"I got a box of honey dust last Christmas." Jethro said. Four heads leaned out of their stalls to stare at his. "No card."

"Aww, Shit." Kate heard Tony mutter. "Ahh, I think the Post Office screwed up, Boss. Someone else got your bottle of Jack and you got their uhh..."

"Hey!" Big Kate cried coming to Tony's rescue. "Doesn't the Post Office irradiate our mail?" she asked.

"Yeah!" McGee said. "That's right. All Federal mail is funneled through the Ion Feed facility in Bridgeport, New Jersey. If it has DNA, if dies."

"So the diseases you named have DNA?" Little Kate asked McGee uncertainly.

"They do!" McGee reassured her.

"Ha-ha! Then it's no worries!" Tony cried.

"Unless the post Office screwed up again." Jethro added his two cents.

"I don't wanna die!" Kate shrieked at her father's announcement. "I got some of that stuff up my nose!"

This was the first time Kate Gibbs had ever heard her father drop the F-Bomb in her entire life.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"You should have given the letter to me, McGee." Jethro said as Ducky took blood from his arm.

"I know, Boss." McGee said as he paced around the morgue. '_If either Katie or Tony had Anthrax…'_ McGee stopped that train of thought. It would do no good to complete it.

"It's not McGee's fault," Katie said trying to defend Timmy.

"It's Tony's." Big Kate interrupted. "He snatched the letter out of McGee's hand."

Katie tried very hard to not roll her eyes and stick out her tongue. She wasn't a big fan of Kate Todd's revamped anti-Tony attitude.

Tony shot up from his lounging position on the Autopsy table next to Kate Todd. "So now it's my bad?"

"You did grab it, Tony." McGee said lamely.

"Lame excuse, Probie." Tony replied. "You should have stopped me."

Kate began to tune them out as she curled up into a ball on the Autopsy table Ari Haswari had ordered her onto just over a year ago. She hadn't been feeling good all morning and now this had to happen. The possibility of being infected with flipping Anthrax. She gave into her exhaustion and fell asleep almost immediately after she closed her eyes.

The next thing Kate knew, somebody had sneezed and Tony was shaking her shoulder to wake her up from her nap. "What's going on?" she mumbled as Tony helped her into a sitting position.

"Kate sneezed." Tony said.

"And the three of you are going to Hospital." Ducky informed you. "Off you go."

"What? Why?" Kate Todd demanded from Ducky.

"Kate, play it safe." Jethro ordered. "Go with Tony and Katie."

"That's safe?" Todd asked and Tony waggled his eyebrows. "Fine," she said rolling her eyes. "How long will we have to stay in isolation?" she asked the men from Bethesda Naval Hospital that had arrived during Katie's nap.

"At least overnight." One of them responded.

"Do you have double beds?" Tony asked. "Cuz I hate it when you push them together and get the crease between the two."

He winced as Jethro smacked the back of his head.

"If I get Anthrax, how will you feel?" Tony asked Jethro as Kate began to slide off of the Autopsy table she'd been sleeping on.

"Not as bad as you, DiNozzo." Gibbs replied honestly.

"Let's go." The man from Bethesda said as Katie staggered on her feet.

"Hold up a sec." Tony told the men. "Hop on." He told Kate as he turned his back to her. "You look like you could use a piggy-back-ride."

Kate grinned and clamored up onto Tony's back. "Thanks Big Tee."

"No problem, Little Kay." Tony said with a grin.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"I can't believe you're commenting on my… Eww. Never mind." Big Kate said to Tony as she handed the orderly her urine sample.

"Neither can I," A man in white scrubs said. "Doctor Brad Pitt." He said introducing himself.

"No way!" Little Kate exclaimed.

"Yes, way." DR. Pitt replied. "That is my real name, and no, we aren't related. Wish we were, I'd love to meet Angelina." He winked at Big Kate and the NCIS Agent giggled like a school girl.

"Is he flirting with her?" Katie asked Tony as Dr. Pitt led the three of them to isolation.

"Yeah, he is." Tony muttered.

Katie looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Are you jealous? Cuz you know, you _sound_ jealous."

"Nope. Not a jealous bone in my body." Tony replied. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Katie giggled as Dr. Pitt was talking about the Isolation Chamber. The majority of the walls were Plexiglas, with the exception of the unisex bathroom in the corner of the chamber. The room surrounding the Isolation Chamber was cavernous and a blinding snowstorm white.

They stepped into the air lock and Katie jumped a mile as the doors squeezed shut and the black lights were switched on.

"Negative pressure?" Kate Todd guessed as Katie clung closer to Tony. She was nervous about being in this secluded part of the hospital.

"Mmhhmmm." Dr. Pitt said impressed with Kate's guess. "Air can flow in, but not out."

The little light above the door into the chamber proper turned green and the black lights died off as the entrance to the chamber opened.

"I'd like you to meet Lt. Emma Ingum, your Duty Nurse for the night."

"Hi, guys." Emma said. "How are you?"

"As a precaution I'm starting you on prophylaxis with streptomycin." Dr. Pitt explained as Emma handed them the little cups containing their medications.

"No dirty comments Tony?" Kate Todd asked confused. This would have been a good shot for one of Tony's tasteless jokes.

"Not now Kate." Tony hissed as he watched Katie stare at her pills with a little frown on her face.

"Do you have any pudding?" Katie asked Dr. Pitt quietly. "I kinda can't…"

"Of course!" Dr. Pitt said as he caught onto Katie's problem. "I'll have an orderly bring you some now."

"Thanks." Kate said as she blushed a little.

"It's okay," Nurse Emma said as she caught the slight blush on Katie's face. "It happens all the time."

Kate smiled meekly; she was happy that Nurse Emma wasn't going to baby her about the pills. She already liked the Navy Nurse.

"Take any bed you want guys," Emma said to the three of them.

"Thank you Nurse Emma!" tony said playfully as he followed Kate Todd to the end of the room and took the bed immediately next to the other agent's.

"But it is prudent to keep some form of separation in case one of you has been infected." Dr. Pitt told the 'adults' at the other end of the chamber.

"Thank you Doctor!" Kate Todd said sweetly as she hopped onto her first choice bed as she made a face at Tony.

"Brad," The doctor said as he smiled behind his white mask. "We're informal here."

"Kate," Agent Todd said with a smile as Tony shuffled off to a bed on the other side of the room. Katie hopped up onto the bed next to Tony's.

She'd like to see the Doctor try and move her from next to Tony. She was scared, tired, cranky and slowly approaching bitchy. She wanted her Daddy, and at this moment, Tony was the closest thing to her Dad while she was in the hospital.

After the orderly had dropped off the chocolate pudding for Katie and she's taken her medication, she sat there listening to the argument Tony and Kate were having about some movie she'd never heard of. John Travolta lived in a plastic bubble in it or something.

"Tony…" Katie whispered.

"Yeah, Katie?" he said as he broke off his rant on the 'King of Cool'.

"I'm scared." Kate admitted. "I wasn't this scarred when Ari held us hostage last year." Her voice hitched and she felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she blinked furiously to keep them from falling.

"Come here," Tony said as he patted a spot next to him on the bed. He felt so bad that the girl had come in contact with what had been in the envelope and he felt fully responsible for the girl.

"What about if one of us is infected?" Katie asked worriedly as she wiped her eyes.

"Don't worry about it." Tony said. "Come 'ere."

Kate mulled over it and decided that possible contamination was worth the risk, because the next thing Tony knew, the teenager had shot out of her bed and into his.

"You remember the first time we met?" Tony asked her as she got comfortable.

"Yupp." Kate said as she snuggled into Tony's side. "I had a 103.5 degree fever and you held me up in the back of the car on the way to the hospital."

"That's right." Tony said as he began to unbraid Kate's damp hair. "I thought you were the bravest nine year old girl I'd ever met when I saw you hooked up to all those tubes and wires the first day."

"I thought you were a big goofy guy." Kate admitted. "Bu you hung out with me as often as you could. You even put up with all my stupid questions about your old jobs."

"They weren't stupid questions." Tony told her as he flicked her nose. "You're a curious kid, Squirt. And that's a good thing."

Kate smiled and closed her eyes. Within minutes she was drifting off to sleep again.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Kate was rudely awoken five hours later by Nurse Emma as Tony coughed up a lung. It was twelve hours after the letter had been opened.

Katie slipped out of the bed when Emma gave her a look and climbed back into her own bed.

"How are you feeling, Sweetie?" Emma asked her as she pulled the blankets up over the fourteen year old.

Kate shrugged. "Sleepy."

"Anything else?" Emma asked her as she consulted some lab results. "Need to cough, scratchy throat, difficulty breathing?"

"Nope." Kate replied as she rubbed her eyes. "Just the usual side effects of Aunt Flo's visit."

Something clicked in Emma's head. "That explains your elevated hormone levels."

Kate nodded as Tony began to cough again.

"Is he going to be okay?" she asked Emma worriedly.

Emma's reaction couldn't be seen through the mask she wore. Her eyes however, quickly darted from the charts to Tony, to Katie, and then to Dr. Pitt outside of the chamber fiddling around with some IVs.

Kate bit her lip nervously. "Who's got whatever it is?" she asked Emma in a whisper.

"I can tell you it's the Pneumonic Plague." Emma replied.

"Is it like Pneumonia?" Kate asked her curiously.

"Not quite." Emma told her. "This is much worse than pneumonia."

Kate nodded as she digested the information. "Do I have it?"

"We're not sure." Dr. Brad said as he came into the room with two IVs.

"How can you not be sure?" Kate Todd asked him.

"The lab results for Katie came back with conflicting reports." Brad said.

Katie felt the blood drain from her face as she sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"What kind of conflicting reports?" Tony demanded from the doctor. He was watching Katie's reaction from the corner of his eye. "Does she have it or not?"

"Well the blood work says 'no', but the urinalysis says 'yes'." Dr. Pitt told them. "We're starting you on the IV as a precaution, Katie."

Kate nodded weakly and exchanged a glance with Tony as Nurse Emma and Dr. Brad began to hook them up to their IVs. She was frightened out of her ever living mind. There was a chance she could die before her baby brother could talk in complete sentences.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"Tony," Katie whispered after Kate Todd had fallen asleep around eleven pm.

"Yeah, Katie-Kins?" Tony whispered back.

"Are you scared? Honestly." Kate asked as she rolled over to face him.

"Out of my ever living mind." Tony admitted. "You have no idea how responsible I feel for you and Kate being stuck in here with me as well."

"Don't." Katie told him. "It's not your fault some _bitch_ decided to mail you guys a letter with the plague in it."

"Language." Tony said half heartedly. He really didn't care if the girl next to him started swearing because as of right now this could be her only shot of swearing. But her parents would kill him if they found out he let her 'French' slide this one time.

"Whatever." Kate said as she rolled her eyes. She was channeling her father's attitude as she tried to make Tony feel less guilty. "And Kate's not sick. She's only staying to make us feel better. Dumb ass."

"Watch your language, Squirt. You don't want Jay-Jay to pick up on it." Tony said to her. "We could possibly kill her and she chooses to stay. Smooth move Caitlin Marie Todd."

"Her middle name's Marie?" Kate said cocking her head to the side. She's been distracted by a new topic, something Tony was thankful for. "I always thought she was a 'Caitlin Elizabeth' kinda Kate."

Tony smiled as he nodded. "Yeah it's in her file. She does seem like she'd have a Saint's name for her middle name."

Katie shrugged and her eyes suddenly widened. "Crap!" she exclaimed.

"Again, watch your mouth." Tony said. "What's wrong now?"

"Mom!" Kate exclaimed as Tony coughed some more. "She's probably freaking out about why Dad and I aren't home by now!"

"Relax." Tony told her. "Your Dad must have called her by now to let her know where you are. It's late." Tony said with a poignant glance in her direction. "Get some sleep."

"But that's what I did all day." Kate whined as Tony gave her a look. "Fine." She said with a sigh. "But if I can't sleep I'm going to keep talking to you."

"Doesn't mean I have to answer you, Squirt." Tony said to the Kate shaped lump on the other bed. "Squirt?"

Kate didn't answer. Tony took a good look at the teenager and chuckled. She was yet again, out like a light.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

By eight pm the following evening things were not looking good for Tony. Both Kates had received negative test results and were both refusing to leave Tony for their own reasons. Katie had been taken off her IV, given a surgical mask around ten that morning, and since then she'd been glued to Tony's side. She'd been helping Nurse Emma take care of her 'brother' and she was determined to keep him alive.

Despite the best efforts from Katie and Emma, Tony's fever was through the roof, and he was using an oxygen tank to help him breath. Dr. Pitt had been vainly trying to get Katie away from Tony's side for the past hour and a half. Katie had been fighting off tears all afternoon and the majority of the evening as Tony coughed up blood. She was more afraid for his safety and health than for her own.

"Everybody behind the screen," Brad told the girls as he and Emma set up a portable x-ray machine. "Tony," he said addressing the ill Senior Field Agent, "I'm going to need you to take a deep breath and hold it for me."

"I don't think I can, Brad." Tony wheezed as he gasped for breath. "Maybe Emma could do it for me." He gasped as he tried to hold his breath like the doctor ordered. "You have very healthy lungs, Emma!" he called as Emma slipped behind the screen.

"Is he always like this?" Emma asked Kate Todd as Katie stood off to the side and wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face like Niagara Falls.

"Tony's humor has always been sexist, juvenile, and raunchy." Kate Todd said to Emma.

"Funny." Emma replied and Katie nodded in agreement.

"Sometimes," Big Kate said as she thought about it. "He can be funny."

"I think he's funny all the time." Katie said adding her two cents.

"He cleans his humor up when you and Will are around." Kate told Katie. "But at work when you aren't there, he's impossible."

"That's not what Dad and Timmy say." Katie said crossing her arms over her chest. "Whenever they start talking about Tony's jokes they always got some funny ones to tell. And Mom and Abby love to hear Dad and Timmy re-tell them. Did you know he actually likes the 'Mc-Nicknames'?"

Big Kate raised an eyebrow. "Really? I never would have guessed."

Katie shrugged. "Go figure."

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Half an hour later Ducky arrived while Tony was in the process of trying to banish Katie and Kate from the isolation chamber. He knew that both of his female companions were fine, and he could just _feel_ the life in himself begin to wane. He didn't want Katie's last memories of him to be tainted by watching him die.

"Get, *wheeze* out of, *wheeze* here." Tony told Katie as he gasped for breath. His lips were turning blue and were cracking; his nose was a funny shade of blue that had nothing to do with the UV light over his bed. "I *wheeze* don't *wheeze* want you to see *wheeze, wheeze* me like *wheeze* this."

"No!" Katie cried firmly through her mask as she felt the tears in her eyes begin to fall over the edges. "I'm staying until Ducky AND Dr. B say I gotta leave."

"Well, we are now." Brad said as he stepped into the isolation chamber. "Your parents and brother are here to discharge you."

Kate bit her lip nervously. "Which brother?" she asked trying to figure out what her chances for staying with Tony were.

"I didn't ask." Dr. Brad said to her. "He's gurgling away in a stroller."

Katie sighed and Tony flashed a fleeting victorious smile. "Can't *wheeze* use Callen *wheeze* against Gibbs *wheeze* now."

Katie sighed and headed out to the air lock angrily ripping her surgical mask off as the tears fell from her eyes and she began to hiccup as she sobbed.

Kate Todd stood next to her silently as the girl sprinted into Ducky's waiting arms.

"He's dying, Ducky." Katie sobbed as the elderly Medical Examiner held her and rubbed her back. Kate Todd sniffled and was wiping away her own tears.

"The hell he will," Jethro growled as he angrily stormed past his people and into the Isolation Chamber.

Katie slipped away from Ducky and silently watched her father exchange some terse words with Dr. Brad and Nurse Emma and then walk up to Tony. He handed Tony a cell phone before lightly tapping the top of Tony's head and leaving the room.

When Jethro had left the Isolation Chamber and exited into the room that housed it, Katie honed onto him like a heat seeking missile.

"Is Tony going to be okay, Daddy?" she desperately asked.

Jethro nodded. "The bug's dead; it had a suicide chain after 32 hours. Now we just have to let the antibiotics work their magic."

Kate Todd let out a sigh of relief and re-entered the Isolation Chamber to be with Tony. Katie moved to follow the older woman, but was stopped by her father.

"I don't think so." Jethro said to his daughter. "He needs his rest, and you need to head home young lady."

"But Daddy!" she protested. "Tony almost died!"

"Which is exactly why you're going home." Jethro told his petulant offspring. "Dr. Pitt said it was okay to discharge you."

Kate pouted and knew that arguing with her father at this point was futile. She followed him out to the nurses' station to take care of Kate's discharge paperwork.

"Do I have to go home?" Kate moaned.

The nurse at the desk heard Kate and laughed. "That's a first," the woman commented.

"What is?" Jethro asked as he flew through the paperwork.

"A patient protesting their discharge," the nurse said. "Normally they're begging to sign themselves out of here."

"I just wanna stay with Tony." Kate said glumly as Jethro signed the last page.

"We'll come visit him once they've moved him to his own room, Princess." Jethro promised as he handed her a draw string bag with a change of clothes. "Go get changed so you can leave."

Kate rolled her eyes and disappeared into a bathroom, re-emerging in an old Eagles concert tee shirt that had once belonged to Callen, a pair of cutoff and her scruffy, old, white Keds. She held the blue pajamas that she'd been issued upon her admittance to the hospital in one hand and the empty bag in another.

"What do I do with these?" She asked the nurse speaking to her father.

"You can keep them, Sweetie." The nurse replied. Do what you want with them, wash them, donate them, burn them, or turn them into pillows. Whatever your little heart desires."

Kate smiled and thrust the pajamas into the drawstring Nike bag. "Thanks. I like the pillow idea."

Jethro groaned. "I feel an arts and crafts project with Abby coming on."

Katie giggled as she plunked her body down into the required wheel chair as Jethro called Jenny on his cell to let her know they were on their way down to the car.

Down in the waiting room Jenny was pacing around the little room bouncing Jay-Jay in her arms as she paced. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun, her eyes had incredibly dark circles under them, and she was running on fumes. She hadn't been able to sleep a wink since Abby had called her almost two days before about the biological attack.

"Oh, Sweetie!" Jenny cried once she set her eyes on Kate.

"Hi Mom," Kate said. "Can I hold Jay-Jay?"

Jenny laughed. "Not until you shower, missy. I don't care if you've been under UV lights for the past 32 hours. You aren't holding this baby until all the plague bugs have been scrubbed away."

"Fine." Kate said with a smile.

Jenny smiled at her and kissed the top of Kate's head. "Let's get you home, Katie."

Kate nodded. Home sounded amazingly good right then.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Hey sorry for the month long hiatus! Work has been hectic lately. I work at a family run bakery with a small staff and we've been scrambling to cover all the hours between their two stores for the past month or so. This should have been up on Sunday, but one of my co-worker's blood sugar level crashed (he's a diabetic and the inspiration behind Jake's Mohawk), and I had to go cover his shift so he could go home. Thankfully he's now okay, and back to flirting with me when he can :D. Scholarship essays are also getting in the way with April 1st deadlines, and I have two more essays to go. Hopefully once those are all handled updates will go back to a one week schedule. Hopefully. No promises because RL can be a bitch and ruin you plans at the last second.

Sorry for the long AN, but REVIEWS PLEASE!!!!!!! Reviews are welcomed and demanded. It takes like two seconds to say 'hey this is great' or just tell me what your favorite chapter so far has been. So click the green button and review away!!!! :D


	30. An Essay and A Favor

Hey Everybody! It's me, gibby101 crawling out of her vacation relaxation mode to gift you with a little chapter I've had for months but never typed up. My recent trip to Disney World severely hindered my updating, but hey, I was in the Happiest Place on Earth God damn it. I was the happiest gibby101 in the park! But I got some story ideas from that trip, including how Tony breaks it to Katie that he and Ziva are getting married. :) Well review please!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!!!!!!!!!! :D This is YOUR chapter cuz it's your b-day. Enjoy :)

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

"Hey, Tony." Nine year old Kate said as she breezed into the Bull Pen alone after school one day.

Tony looked up from the computer search he was doing in the Maryland RMV database and sighed. He knew that tone of voice very well. "What do you want?" he asked the nine year old.

Kate cocked her head to the side making her strawberry blond curls bounce as she gave Tony her best doe eyed innocent smile. "What do you mean?"

Tony shook his head and laughed, "Oh ho ho ho. I know that tone of voice," he said. "It's the 'I-need-you-to-do-something-I-know-you're-going-to-say-no-to' voice."

Kate batted her eyelashes and pouted ever so slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Not working," Tony said in a sing song voice as he narrowed down the search criteria in the database. He kept his eyes glued to the screen as he hunted and pecked at the keys and every so often would discreetly glance over at the little girl.

Kate was biting her lip and looked genuinely upset. Tony sighed. Crying females was not his forte, and if he did make Kate cry, there went his brain cells. One Super Gibbs Slap coming his way!

"Come here," Tony said with a sigh as he pushed his chair back and patted his lap.

Kate dropped her backpack on the floor by her father's desk and scampered up onto Tony's lap and sat facing Tony.

"First, no crying," Tony said as he handed Kate a tissue.

Kate took the tissue with a giggle as Tony tickled her and she wiped her eyes.

"Any more tears?" Tony asked. Kate shook her head 'no'. "Good," Tony said as he took the used tissue back and dropped in the waste basket under his desk. "What's up, Squirt?"

"Mrs. Donaldson made us write about our best friend." Kate told Tony. "We had to write a whole five paragraph essay about them and why they're our best friend."

Tony nodded. "Who did you write about, Squirt?"

"You," Kate said as she shyly glanced down at her feet.

Tony grinned and looked down at the suddenly silent girl in his lap. "Me?" he questioned. He didn't understand the reason why she would write about him. He'd known her for two months, and he'd been over to the Gibbs residence a handful of times and watched a ridiculous amount of Disney movies with her, taken her to the movies when Gibbs was in Interrogation for hours… Tony quickly realized why but still asked her, "Why?"

Kate silently shook her head and blushed in embarrassment. She hid her pink face behind the curtain of curls that had fallen in front of her face.

Tony sighed silently when he realized he needed to switch tactic to elicit answers from the girl in front of him. "Did you write it today?" he asked her.

"No," Kate said quietly as she slipped off of Tony's lap and grabbed her powder blue L. L. Bean backpack off the floor and dug around in it for her purple take home folder. "We got them back today."

"What did you get on it?" Tony asked as he ignored the beep from his computer.

"Your computer beeped." Kate told him as she clutched the blue lined white pages covered in her clumsy cursive to her chest. She was hiding her grade from Tony and trying to change the subject.

But unfortunately for her, the Senior Field Agent (and Probie rolled into one), knew an opportunity to change the subject when he heard one. "Ignore it." Tony said as he turned the monitor off. "Let's see that essay grade."

Kate sighed dramatically and reluctantly handed over the pencil covered pages.

Tony's eyebrows were raised to his hairline when he saw the red 4+ in red in a neat little circle at the top of the page. "You got a four plus!" Tony said jubilantly causing many heads to turn their way. "Get back to work!" Tony snapped when he realized his exclamation had drawn a crowd.

The eavesdroppers dispersed and went back to work.

Kate smiled and nodded. "Mrs. Donaldson said I was the only one to get a four plus on this assignment."

"That's great, Squirt!" Tony said with a smile. "Can I read it?"

Kate nodded and she watched Tony's face eagerly to see his reaction to the composition.

Tony looked up from the introduction to see the girl watching him. "You know what? I have a better idea."

"You do?" Kate asked confused as she climbed up onto Tony's lap. "What is it?"

"Will you read it to me?" Tony asked her. "You wrote it about your best friend, and your best friend would like you to read it to him. But only if that's okay with you."

"Okay." Kate said happily as she took the theme back from Tony.

She took a deep breath and plowed headfirst into the essay, "Best friends are an important part of your life." She read, "They can be boys or girls, your age or not. You can see them every day, every week or just once in a while. My best friend is Tony DiNozzo. He's older than me and works with my dad. I don't always get to see Tony a lot because he's working, but when he makes a promise, he keeps a promise."

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

When Jethro Gibbs had come back to the Navy Yard after picking his daughter up from school, the last thing he had expected to do was spend an hour and a half between Autopsy and Abby's Lab. But this had happened, and here he was running late for dinner with his wife's Aunt from Chicago. He had originally intended to just run up to the Bull Pen and grab some paperwork before heading home with Kate. But Ducky had discovered that the second victim in his most recent case had contracted syphilis shortly before his death. The Petty Officer had just returned from an eight month stint on the USS Ronald Reagan. Chances were the person the Petty Officer had contracted the disease from was still onboard and could be a suspect in this case.

Abby had confirmed Ducky's diagnosis, and informed him that the victim probably wasn't even aware of the presence of the disease just yet. Now Gibbs needed DiNozzo to pull all the medical files of the Reagan's personal to check for syphilis or anyone with syphilis symptoms. Then The Agent Afloat could throw the potential suspects in the brig until they could be hauled into DC for questioning. Gibbs was now planning on dropping Kate off with Mrs. Mallard and already thinking of what to say to Jenny to reschedule the dinner.

That was, until he stepped off of the elevator in the Bull Pen. He stepped off of the elevator and found Chris Pacci armed with a camera sneaking glances over a partition at DiNozzo's desk.

Gibbs felt his heart brim with parental joy at the sight before him. Kate was sitting on Tony's lap, wrapped up snuggly in the younger agent's arms re-reading her essay aloud to him.

Tony had a smile on his face that Gibbs could easily associate with parental pride. Whatever that essay was about had Tony beaming. Jethro was curious as to the subject of it. The few times Gibbs had seen DiNozzo interact whit children when it was case related had been cringe worthy. The kids had shied away from Tony, and if Gibbs hadn't known how well Tony did with Kate he would have seriously considered buying Tony "Child Care for Dummies". If such a title in the Dummies series existed. Jethro paused for a moment. He might have actually seen that at Waldenbooks last week. He had the perfect gag gift for DiNozzo for Christmas now.

"Pacci," Gibbs said as a greeting. "How long have they been like this?"

"A little over an hour." The other investigator replied. "I got a few pictures that will be circulating the entire agency by this time tomorrow."

"How?" Gibbs asked. He was a little clueless when it came to this new computer age.

"Email." Chris replied simply. "I'm sure the Agents Afloat would appreciate the little scene of the perks of being assigned to DC."

"And then the Director gets bombarded with transfer requests." Jethro joked. "I like it."

"Hadn't thought of that." Pacci said with a shrug. "Oh, well."

Jethro laughed. "Well I need to go interrupt this episode of Reading Rainbow and get the Princess home before the Evil Step Mother flips out on the poor King."

Pacci stared at Gibbs in shock.

"What?" Gibbs asked. "Is there something on my face?"

"No," Pacci said as he blinked a few times in shock. "I'm just amazed at the amount of kiddy references you just dropped in one sentence."

"I have a nine year old daughter, Chris." Jethro said with a chuckle. "These things tend to happen."

This time it was Pacci who laughed.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

"So then I told Mrs. Donaldson that you are too real." Kate said to Tony as she explained the story behind her essay. "But Lily Humphries still doesn't think you are."

"Well, what Lily Humphries thinks about my existence isn't important." Tony told her as her playfully tugged on one of her curls.

Kate cheekishly stuck her tongue out at Tony in retaliation. "Wanna do me a favor?" Kate asked him sweetly.

"Sure thing, Squirt." Tony said without contemplating any possible requests.

"Can you and Daddy come in for Career Day?" Kate asked as she batted her eyelashes. "Please?"

Tony roared with laughter. "You little manipulator. I knew you wanted something!"

Kate grinned and stuck her tongue back out. "So will you?"

"Of course!" Tony replied. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Thanks Tee!" Kate cried happily as she wrapped her arms around Tony's neck to hug him.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!!!! So it's my friend's birthday today so I'm dedicating this chapter to her. It's part of her present. I promised an update and a chapter in her honor and here it is! There will be another little short chapter or two and then I plan on writing Twilight and Kill Ari parts One and Two as one chapter. Well, beckons me to get started on it. Blah. 16 days and I'm done with high school for good! :D That's always something to look forward to!


	31. Tony's Big News

Here's one of my little filler chapters before my mega three episode chapter(s). It might get split into two parts seeing as it's already 21 pages handwritten and I'm not even close to halfway done with it yet. Oh boy….

But this should keep you guys tied over until I finish the monstrosity by the end of the month. Hopefully. But there will be plenty of time for me to write while I'm not taking finals in classes I passed with solid 'As' for the year :) I love being a Senior…with three days of school left…

I don't own any of the recognizable characters that appear on CBS' hit number one drama NCIS. I just own Kate Gibbs, her brother Jay-Jay, and other unrecognizable characters.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

**2013**

Kate was scribbling away in her notebook on her bed as she tried to finish the end of her Spring Break assignments. Her text books were spread out around her in a circle on her comforter and she huffed blowing her too long bangs out of her face as she turned the page in her psych book.

"Knock, knock," Tony said from the doorway to Kate's bedroom startling the young woman.

"Wah!" Kate shrieked as she lost her balance and actually tumbled to the floor from her bed.

Tony tried hard to not laugh as Kate's head poked up over the bed with her messy ponytail starting to fall apart and a piece of paper landed on top of Kate's head.

"Was sneaking up on me like that really necessary?" Kate asked as she climbed back up onto her queen sized bed tucking her sweat pant clad legs under her body while she mock glared at Tony.

Tony shrugged and closed the door behind him as he stepped into the twenty-two year old's mint green and white bedroom. "We need to talk, Squirt."

Kate cocked her head to the side and looked at Tony curiously. "What about?" she asked and began to stack her homework things up by the head of her bed.

"Nothing bad," Tony said as he took the desk chair, spun it around, and sat down on it backwards. "Just a big brother to little sister kind of talk.

Kate nodded, "And what are we talking about?"

"Me." Tony simply stated. "I'm getting married."

Kate's jaw dropped and her eyes grew to the size of saucers. The next statement to leave her mouth could easily be contributed to the re-runs of Hannah Montana she watched religiously on Disney Channel. "Eternal bachelor big brother say what?"

Tony just laughed at her reaction. "I'm getting married," he repeated.

Kate shook her head in disbelief. "You're that serious about this mystery girl you've been seeing?"

Tony nodded, "I'm over the moon crazy for her, Katie. I can't imagine the rest of my life without her."

Kate sighed. She really hoped that Tony had really found the one for him and that this wouldn't turn into the Jeanne Benoit fiasco 2.0. "Who is she?" Kate asked curiously. You haven't even dropped a hint as to who she is in the past two years."

Tony's smile grew to the size of the Cheshire Cat's. "Hey, Honey!" he called through the closed door. "Come on in!"

Kate curiously watched as the white bedroom door opened and a dark haired woman entered the room. Kate felt her jaw drop again when she recognized the woman standing in her doorway. "Ziva!" Kate cried gleefully.

Ziva smiled warmly at Kate as she moved to Tony's side. "Do I pass the little sister test?" the Israeli woman asked as she and Tony linked fingers.

"Hell ya!" Kate cried happily. "When's the wedding? I'd better be in the wedding party or I yank any and all little sister blessing regarding your upcoming nuptials."

"Of course," Ziva said with a chuckle.

"So what am I in the wedding party?" Kate eagerly asked.

Tony and Ziva exchanged knowing smiles.

"Well," Tony said, "It's an unusual position…"

"I think she is perfect for it." Ziva cut in. "Shani and Miriam agree with me."

"Who?" Kate asked.

"My Maid of Honor and one of the bridesmaids." Ziva said with her smile still in place. "Old friends of mine from Tel Aviv."

Kate nodded, "So what roll am I playing in this upcoming ceremony of Holy Matrimony?"

Another silent look was exchanged by the newly engaged couple.

"Tell me already!" Kate snapped with dramatic flair. "The anticipation is killing me!"

Tony laughed, "But making you sweat it out is more amusing."

Kate grabbed a decorative throw pillow from the mound of pillows she was leaning against and threw it as hard as she could at Tony's head. It nailed him in the forehead with a resounding 'SMACK' as the beaded center collided with skin.

"Oww!" Tony exclaimed as he rubbed the spot on his forehead. "What was that for?"

"For not telling me what I'm doing in your wedding. Durr." Kate replied as she patted the pile of pillows behind her. "And I have plenty of ammunition to keep doing that all night."

Tony sighed dramatically picking up on the fact that Kate wasn't in the best of moods right now. "Fine, I guess I'll tell you."

Kate beamed, "Thank you very much. You may proceed."

"You're the Best Man." Tony said. "Well, the Best Wo-Man, really."

"SWEET!" Kate exclaimed.

"Are you ready for dress shopping?" Ziva asked the younger woman.

"Yes!" She cried happily.

"How about we go now?" Ziva suggested.

"Now?" Kate said. "Why not!" As she was getting ready to hop off the bed she paused and looked at Tony. "What about Timmy?"

"What about Tim?" Tony asked his little sister.

"I thought you would have asked him to be your best man." Kate said.

"Nah," Tony said waiving his hand to dismiss any of Kate's misgivings on accepting the position. "He and Will are perfectly content as ushers. He understands that I'd ask you to stand up there next to me on my wedding day. You're family, and Tim understands that blood is thicker than water."

"But I thought you saw the team as a family." Kate stated slightly confused.

"I do," Tony said. "But he's more of the cousin I get to see on a daily basis than a brother. McGoo has his own family besides the team. Besides, you're my baby sister. You come first before Tim any day."

"Aw, Tee!" Kate gushed and launched herself at her brother, throwing her arms around his neck in a huge hug. "You're the best!"

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

**ELEVEN MONTHS LATER**

Kate was leaning up against the wall as she watched Tony adjust his bowtie in the mirror for the millionth time that afternoon in the little room in the Church.

"For the love of God, Tony, relax!" Kate said with a frustrated sigh. "Everything is going fine. I was just in with the bride and the bridal party getting a touch up on my make-up. Ziva's here and she's not having second thoughts about marrying you. And you'd better not be getting cold feet or I swear nobody will be able to find your body parts when I'm done with you."

"Kate, how can I relax? I'm getting married in less than twenty minutes!" Tony exclaimed. "I'm gonna screw it up and Zee's gonna hate me forever."

Kate pushed herself off of the wall and wrapped her left arm around Tony's shoulders. "No, no she won't."

"How do you know that?" Tony asked her. "You're not Ziva."

"I may not be Ziva," Kate said, "but I am a woman. And women tend to think alike on matters such as these. Sure, she'll be a little miffed that something went wrong on her wedding day, but in two years she can look back and laugh at it all. You know why?"

"No." Tony said dejectedly.

"Because she's going to have the best husband in the world by her side to remind her of the little mistakes he made during the ceremony, and he'll be able to re-enact it for their kids in fifteen years." Kate said. "Besides, if you focus on screwing up, you will screw up. So focus on the positive and go get yourself hitched."

Tony smiled as he took in Kate's words of encouragement and looked at the twenty three year old next to him. "When did you get to be so smart, Squirt?"

Kate just laughed. "I'm not a Squirt today." She was referring to the fact that with her shoes on she was five foot five, just a head shorter than the six foot two Tony. "But I've always been smart, Tee. I just got smarter about relationships after I met Jake."

"Is he here today?" Tony asked Kate. He was always eager to change the subject and grill Kate on her boyfriend of seven months.

"Yes he is." Kate said with a smile. "And Ziva agrees with me that you're not allowed to terrorize him today. Leave that to Dad, Tim, Will, and Callen."

Tony chuckled, "You caught me."

"I'm your little sister," Kate said with a sigh as the door to their little room opened and Jethro stepped in. "It's my job to catch onto your little schemes."

"Well, as touching as this scene is," Jethro said from the doorway. "It's time for you two to step out onto the alter so we can get things started."

"Come on Squirt," Tony said. "We better do what he says; after all he is pulling double duty as the father of the bride and father of the groom."

"I told you to tell Eli David," Kate said with a sigh as she hitched up the skirt to her olive green dress and carefully walked across the room linking arms with Tony. "But no, nobody listens to Kate when she's right. Cuz you know that Eli will seriously try to kill you for marrying his daughter behind his back."

"It's your turn to relax," Tony said as they stood at the altar looking over the assembled crowd of friends and family. "We're going to tell him after the honeymoon. Ziva's having her Aunt Nettie invite him and her mother over for dinner and we'll spring the news via Skype."

"Good luck with that," Kate said as she waved to Jay-Jay. The eight year old was serving as the ring bearer in the ceremony and was anxiously waiting with Miriam's daughter Lisa, the flower girl, for the wedding to start. The two kids were leaning up against a wall tossing some of Lisa's fake flowers between each other waiting for the signal to line up.

"They're kinda cute together," Tony said watching the two kids.

"They are," Kate replied looking down the aisle at them. "I think Jay-Jay made a new friend."

"Me too," Tony said with a smile.

"So, you ready?" Kate asked Tony as the doors to the Sanctuary closed to allow the bride to line up with the rest of the bridal party and the ushers finished seating the mother of the groom.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Tony replied.

"Good enough," Kate replied as the organ started to play. "Because here they come."

When Gibbs and Ziva came into the Sanctuary, Tony's jaw dropped. Kate saw it happen from the corner of her eye and she leaned over and shut his mouth with her hand. "You're going to get drool all over your tux and loose the deposit."

Tony snorted and his eyes went back to his fiancé and their father figure gracefully walking down the aisle. Ziva's dress was snow white with an olive green sash at her waist, and the veil had olive green trim as well. Just past the green ribbon little "pick ups" as the bridal shop woman called them (to Kate they looked like fancy ruffles), started and went to the floor. She smiled nervously and was clinging to Gibbs's arm. "God, she's gorgeous," Tony whispered causing Kate to roll her eyes.

"Which is why you're marrying her. Now shut up," Kate said as Ziva and Jethro reached the altar.

Kate stood behind Tony as he and Ziva exchanged their vows and tried very hard to not make faces as Lisa fussed with the flowers in the first pew out of reach of her mother, Miriam, who was serving as the Maid of Honor. Miriam was not amused.

As the happy couple finally said "I do," the priest, Father Jerry, pronounced them man and wife.

He happily turned to the gathered crowd and said, "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Anthony DiNozzo Jr. You may kiss the bride!"

The church erupted into applause and cat calls as Ziva and Tony locked lips for their first kiss as a married couple.

Kate and Miriam followed the newlyweds down the aisle with Jay-Jay and Lisa falling instep behind them.

"Oh I can't believe you guys finally tied the knot!" Kate said as she hugged Tony and then Ziva. "Welcome to the family, Zee!"

"I thought I already was a part of the family." Ziva said sounding confused. "And what knot did we tie?"

Kate laughed, "Now it's official. You married my brother so now you're my sister-in-law. It's all nice and legal looking on paper."

"But what knot did we tie?" Ziva asked.

"It means we got married," Tony said. "I'll explain later."

"Oh," Ziva said with a laugh. "Well I am glad we tied the knot as well."

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Later that evening as the reception was in full swing and Kate had made her Best Wo-Man speech as expected, she and Jake swayed around the dance floor to a slow Sinatra tune.

"Think that'll be us in a couple of years?" Jake asked his girlfriend as they spun past Ziva and Tony talking to guests at their table.

"Hopefully," Kate said as she laid her head on Jake's shoulder.

"I love you," Jake said as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you so much it hurts."

"I love you, too," Kate said feeling blissful. "Promise me you're gonna always love me?" Kate asked not expecting Jake to reply.

"I promise," Jake said. "And I'll never break that promise, Baby, never."

As Kate and Jake danced past Jethro and Jenny, Kate took the opportunity to sign '_He's a keeper!_' to Jethro and then resumed dancing.

Jethro sighed.

"What's wrong?" Jenny asked him.

"My baby girl is growing up," Jethro said dejectedly. "And there's nothing I can do to stop that."

Jenny just laughed.


	32. Twilight and Kill Ari

This is a beast and a half so I want REVIEWS. Now I have that out of my way, this is the monster chapter of all monster chapters. It's over 25 pages hand written and that's not even completed. It's gonna be a long one folks! (AN: This only the first half and it's 27 pages long on Word)

I don't own NCIS or any recognizable characters. I own Kate Gibbs and Sister Mary Catherine and Father Jerry and you get the idea. Will Scuito belongs to my friend Megan. She writes the awesome story, _**Another Scuito in the Family**_, and is graciously letting me borrow her character and some (a lot of) dialogue from her story.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

**2005**

"You're not going back."

Tony stilled with his back to the doorway of the bedroom. He was in the middle of packing up his things after a weeklong stay at the Gibbs home.

"I am," Tony replied as he resumed stacking a portion of his DVD collection into his bag.

"No you're not," Kate said as she stepped into the room. "You're still sick."

"I'm fine," Tony said as he gingerly sat down on the bed.

"You're lying," Kate said as she crossed her arms over her chest and stood in front of Tony. "Don't pretend you didn't flinch when you just sat down."

"Squirt…." Tony started but was cut off by Kate's index finger in his face.

"Don't 'Squirt' me!"Kate said angrily. "You're not better! You **can't go back!**"

"Kate," Tony said carefully. "I'm going back. I've been cleared by Brad to return to work."

"I say you're not," Kate replied. "And I can still call Director Morrow and Abby. They can MAKE you stay here for another week."

Tony sighed. He knew Kate would have a difficult time figuring out why he was returning to work. Hell, he didn't fully understand his own reasoning.

"Kate," he said finally. "I need to go back sooner or later."

"Well I vote later," Kate grumbled. "Like another two weeks later."

"Tough luck," Tony joked as Kate plopped down next to him. "I **need** to be working, Kiddo. Two weeks on my but isn't fun."

"It's not supposed to be," Kate retorted. "You almost DIED!"

Tony sighed again. It was common knowledge among the adults at NCIS Kate had issues with death that a therapist from her post hostage therapy sessions attributed to the deaths of her mother and sister fourteen years prior. "But I didn't, did I?"

"No," Kate said sullenly. "But you were on the verge of it. Dr. B said they barely just got the antibiotics in you before any real damage was done."

"How do you know that?" Tony asked her in disbelief.

"I heard him tell Ducky," Kate said, "after they moved you from isolation to ICU."

Tony shrugged; at that point he had been doped up on antibiotics and some painkillers for his cracked ribs. "I'm going back to work tomorrow, Squirt. I've made my mind up about that."

"I know," Kate said mournfully. "I just wish you would wait until Monday."

"It is Monday," Tony replied.

"I know that," Kate stated. "I meant next Monday."

"Nice try," Tony said. "But Tuesday morning at eight AM, I'll be stepping off of the elevator in the Bull Pen.

"And I'll be suffering through homeroom," Kate grumbled.

"Aww, cheer up Squirt!" Tony said mockingly. "Maybe Ari's back in the area to liven things up and we have to pull you and Will out of school for the foreseeable future."

"Don't jinx us!" Kate cried. "Quick! Knock on wood!"

Tony did as ordered and knocked on the headboard.

"Good. Hopefully we aren't jinxed now," Kate said as she slid off of the bed. "Night, Tony," Kate said from the doorway. "Have a great day at work tomorrow."

"Thanks, Squirt," Tony said to Kate as she retreated down the hall to her room.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

"Now that the exams have been distributed there is no need to talk," Sister Mary-Catherine told her silent Theology class. There was no need to remind the twenty-five assembled thirteen and fourteen year old students in the room. None of them really desired to write a five page research paper on the Beatitudes.

"Pencils up," The Sister said. "You have one hour to complete the test. You may begin."

The only sounds heard after this statement were the scratching of pencils on Scantron sheets and the ominous tick of the classroom clock.

The almost silence was interrupted by a knock the resounded throughout the room and startled the students.

Sister Mary-Catherine elegantly rose from behind her desk, adjusted her habit and glided to the door. She took a quick second to glance the students causing them to resume their tests. "Yes?" The Sister said to the man standing in the doorway.

"Sister Mary-Catherine?" The man in a cobalt blue suit asked.

"That is I," The Nun replied.

"Is Caitlin Gibbs in your class this period?" The man asked.

Kate looked up from her test and exchanged fleeting panicked looks with Becky. Kate shrugged as Becky mouthed 'What did you do?'

"May I ask who you are, Sir?" Sister Mary-Catherine inquired as she shifted closer to the classroom phone on the wall next to the door.

"Special Agent Nelson, NCIS," the man replied and showed the Nun his badge. "Special Agent DiNozzo is in the office dismissing Miss Gibbs as we speak."

Kate shrugged at Becky's curious gaze. She'd never heard of Special Agent Nelson before. Maybe this was the excitement Tony had wished for the night before.

"Hall is clear," a familiar female voice stated in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

Kate dropped her pencil as Special Agent Kate Todd appeared at Nelson's side. "Kate, let's move." Todd said seeing the girl sitting at her desk still.

Katie grabbed her bag from the back of her desk chair and gathered her barely started test papers and handed them to a slightly stunned Sister Mary-Catherine. "Sorry, Sister," Katie said as the Nun took the test back. "But Agent Todd's using her 'I'm-on-protection-detail-don't-mess-with-me' tone of voice. Meaning I have to make tracks. Can I make this up when I get back?"

"Pardon?" Sister Mary-Catherine said as she took the papers from Katie.

"I'm being pulled out of school for something important if there's two _armed_ federal agents in the classroom to escort me to the main office where there's a third agent waiting to dismiss me there," Kate explained. "My guess is that someone is trying to kill my Dad, again. I get to spend an undetermined amount of time at the Navy Yard and I'll e-mail Sister Rosita for my assignments. Bye."

Katie had enough time to wave to her class and sign 'I'll call you later'to Becky before the two agents dragged her off to the office to meet up with Tony.

"You jinxed us!" Katie told Tony.

"I did not!" Tony said after he had excused himself from his conversation with Sister Rosita and Father Jerry.

"Did you not say 'Cheer up Squirt! Maybe Ari's back in the area and we'll have to pull you and Will out of school for the foreseeable future'?" Katie asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave Tony her mini-Gibbs glare. "Don't deny it!"

"There's no proof that Ari was the one who tried to blow us up," Tony said and then hastily added, "at least not yet."

"BLOW YOU UP?" Katie shrieked causing the adults surrounding her to wince at the pitch of her voice.

"DiNozzo!" Kate Todd barked. "We weren't supposed to tell her that until she and Will were both in Abby's lab. After they saw we were all okay. You and you're big mouth are going to get us into a lot of trouble one day."

"Or out of it," Tony said in his defense. "Besides, Katie's a smart kid, she knows we're all fine."

"Are you all fine?" Katie asked staring Tony down. "Cuz exploding cars do not mix well with healthy people let alone people still recovering from the Plague."

Tony went to respond when his breath hitched and he momentarily gasped for breath. "Okay, I'm having a little difficulty breathing. Let's get you out of here so we can go get Will and head back to the office and get back to work."

"Fine," Kate Todd snapped. "Sister Rosita, Father Jerry, it was a pleasure to see you again," she added more pleasantly.

"Caitlin," Father Jerry said. "Don't be a stranger. We will look for you at Mass on Sunday."

"I'll be there barring a protection detail. But, I'll do my best to be at the nine o'clock service," Kate Todd replied warmly shaking Father Jerry's hand.

"Let's go," Agent Nelson said. "The Director wants us back by thirteen hundred."

"Um, Agent Nelson?" Katie said cautiously, "it's one thirty now."

Nelson's reaction made Sister Rosita blush, Father Jerry bless himself, remove his glasses and clean the lenses while not looking at the agent, and caused Tony to deliver the ultimate Head Slap for using such foul language in front of a Nun, a Priest and Kate Gibbs.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

"Why are we under lockdown at NCIS?" Will asked dejectedly as he longingly gazed out the windows at the beautiful May afternoon.

"People are trying to kill the team," Kate said as if this was a normal occurrence. "And if this guy went to the trouble of rigging a crime scene with an explosive and ensured that Dad's team responded to the call, then this guy most likely knows about us."

"So that means…" Will said trying to get an explanation from Kate.

"The easiest way to hurt my dad is to hurt one of us kids, or both of us," Kate said as she logged onto her father's seldom used computer. "We get put in a Federal Agency building and don't get to leave it without a bazillion armed agents as escorts or until the bastard is arrested and or shot to death."

"Oh," Will said. "I'm going to go see Abby."

"Don't touch the evidence!" Kate reminded him. "Abby's cataloguing EVERYTHING from the car and had a mini tweak attack when I moved _**Bert**_."

"Thanks for the warning," Will said as he disappeared in the direction of the main elevator bay.

Kate was typing up an email to Sister Rosita explaining that she was going to need her assignments emailed to her for at least a week and she didn't know how long she would be out of school for when a flash of red hair caught her eye. Her mom was deep in conversation with a fellow Deputy Director on the way up the stairs to MTAC.

When the African American man turned his back to the Bull Pen, Jenny discreetly waved to Kate and slipped into MTAC.

Kate smiled and thought about how she couldn't wait for that office upstairs to be her Mom's. She like Director Morrow a lot, but it would be super cool to have her mom be the Director of NCIS. She knew that within the next two weeks that office would be her Mom's, she just didn't know when.

"Hey, Squirt," Tony said as he tonelessly sank into his office chair. "What's with the grin?"

"Mom just went into MTAC," Kate replied. "She's back from California early."

"I didn't know she was starting back today," Tony remarked. "I figured they'd have her out there for another week or two."

Kate just shrugged; she vaguely knew why her mom was back early. Tony had no clue that Jenny was lined up to be the next director of NCIS. Kate sent the email and logged off the computer.

"Tell Dad I took McGee with me to go see Jay-Jay at the Base Day Care Center."

"Are you, or are you going to give McGoo the sliperoo?" Tony asked as he made a note on a Post-It. "Stay out of trouble either way. Tim's down in the lab calming Abby down."

"Thanks, Tony," Kate said as she headed out of the squad room.

Twenty five minutes later Kate and McGee signed into the Day Care Center to visit baby Jay-Jay.

"Hey Buddy," Tim said with a huge smile as Kate picked the one year old up and bounced him up and down in a circle.

"Ate!" Jay-Jay said happily as he recognized his big sister. "Im!"

"At least he's getting close to saying our names right," Tim said as Kate set the boy back down and he tugged his sister over to the Thomas the Tank Engine trains.

"To-mas," Jay-Jay said proudly as he held out a blue Thomas the Tank Engine toy to his sister as some bigger boys built tracks behind him.

"That's right, Jay-Jay!" Kate cooed. "That is Thomas."

Jay-Jay beamed at the praise from his sister. "Ca-Ca-KKKKK-"Jay-Jay stammered as he tried to say 'Kate'. "Kate!" He finally cried successfully. "Kate-Kate! Uppy!"

Kate's jaw dropped. She was completely flabbergasted by her brother's sudden ability to say her name correctly. "Did you hear that?" Kate asked Tim as she scooped up the baby.

"I did," McGee said equally dumbstruck. "His speech is getting much better."

"It is," a third voice chimed in.

Kate and McGee spun around to see Jenny standing behind them holding Jay-Jay's Thomas back pack and his Blue's Clues windbreaker.

"Oh, hi Mom," Kate said. "I didn't realize it was time to go home already."

"You kids are leaving early today," Jenny explained as she put Jay-Jay's jacket on him. "Director Morrow wants you two and Will as far away from here as possible tonight."

"How come?" Kate asked as she trailed behind Jenny as they headed for the counter to sign Jay-Jay out.

"Somebody's trying to kill your father," Jenny said bluntly.

"Well duh. I knew that already," Kate said.

"And," Jenny continued on like Kate hadn't interrupted. "Whoever is behind this came dangerously close to killing the rest of the team as well."

"Tony says Ari is behind it," Kate said as they crossed the quad to the NCIS building with McGee silently trailing behind them scanning for any possible threats.

"Until there is concrete evidence that Ari Hasswari is behind the car explosion, do not go around repeating that," Jenny ordered.

"Gotcha," Kate said. "Mom, can you hold Jay-Jay for a sec? My shoe's untied."

Jenny took the babbling boy from his older sister and Kate stooped over to tie her sneaker. She'd had a free day at school and the student body had been allowed to wear street clothes to school instead of their uniforms. She didn't know who was watching them, but she felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle as Timmy and her mom talked shop.

Two miles away in a black Suburban at the riverside park, Ari Hasswari smiled to himself as he watched the Gibbs family (including McGee), made their way back across the quad to 'safety'.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

The next morning Kate stretched out in the bed of the guest room of her Papa Jasper's old Brownstone in Georgetown. Her parents had decided that it would be the last place anyone would look for Kate and Jay-Jay.

They were right.

Ari had actually sent someone to watch the old Gibbs house in Arlington, but no one was there. Gibbs had spent the night in the Bull Pen with his protection detail; McGee, Tony, and Kate Todd.

"Kate," Jenny said as she knocked on the door. "Time to get up."

"Go away!" Kate mumbled into her pillow. "I'm sleeping."

"It's nine thirty," Jenny said as a warning tone crept into her voice. "If you're not downstairs in ten minutes I'm dropping Jay-Jay into your bed."

"Uuuuuggggghhhhh," Kate moaned and she rolled out of bed and opened the door. "I'm up."

Jenny giggled, "Nice hair, Sweetie." She smoothed down Kate's fly away hair and smiled. "You might want to re-straighten your hair before we leave."

"What time do you want to be there?" Kate asked groggily.

"Sometime before noon," Jenny responded. "Tom and I have a meeting at twelve fifteen."

"Okay," Kate said. "I'll just let my hair go curly today."

"All right," Jenny said. "Go hop in the shower then."

"Kay," Kate said as she disappeared into her room to get ready for the day.

At eleven thirty Kate stepped off the elevator in the Squad Room and found the Bull Pen empty. She shrugged and made herself comfortable at Tony's desk as Will appeared from the direction of Abby's lab.

"Hey, Will," Kate said as she searched through Tony's computer for a game other than his 'Whack-bin-Laden' game. "Doesn't this suck?"

"A little," Will replied. "I'd rather not be cooped up in here." It was yet again a beautiful day outside the window. Despite the fact that NCIS was in the middle of the Washington Navy Yard, Kate and Will were not permitted to leave the building without a member of the team escorting them. Playing outside was unfortunately completely out of the question for them.

"Me too," Kate said. "I just wish we had some of Tony's DVD's to watch."

"You ask and ye receive," Tony said coming up behind the two kids and handed them a stack of live action Disney Movies and two Harry Potter books.

"You are psychic," Kate said thankfully as she skimmed over the titles. "_The Apple Dumpling Gang, Swiss Family Robinson, The Love Bug, Herbie Rides Again, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Marry Poppins,_ and _Bed Knobs and Broomsticks_."

"Enjoy," Tony said. "We have movies to watch in the lab too."

"What are you watching?" Will asked curiously.

"Security footage," Tony said making a face. "I'll see you kids later."

"Kay, thanks Tee," Kate replied as she tossed _Roger Rabbit_ at Will to put in a computer.

"Plasma?" Will asked Kate.

"Plasma," Kate said in confirmation.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

"Hey!" Kate protested as her dad pulled her chair out of the aisle in the Bull Pen to get to his desk.

"Sorry, Princess," Gibbs said as Kate went back to watching what was happening in Toon Town. "But can you pause the movie for a minute?"

"Sure," Kate said as Will looked on silently. "What's up?"

"We're going after Ari," Gibbs said quietly.

Kate launched herself out of the office chair and into her father's arms. "Be careful, Daddy," she whispered as she squeezed him in a bear hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, Baby Girl," Jethro choked out as he rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. What he wasn't telling his daughter was that he wasn't going to give up until one of them was laying in a body bag in Autopsy.

"I'll see you when you get back," Kate said as Will resumed the movie. It was an order from daughter to father, not a carefree comment. Jethro's name was mud if he didn't come home in one piece.

After the movie ended the two kids scampered down to Abby's lab to play The Sims 2 on a plasma screen in her office while they waited for the ream to get back from the docks and warehouse district.

"Oh, idea!" Kate said as they began to create their Sims family. "Let's make it the team, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, you and me!"

"Great idea!" Will said. "And we can build the house to look like the Bull Pen."

"Perfect!" Kate said as she began to design the family.

"Gibbs will be the dad, Jenny's the mom, and we're the kids…" Will said.

"Ducky's the grandpa," Kate said happily as she began to work on Ducky.

"What about Palmer?" Will asked.

"What about Jimmy?" Kate responded. "He's one of the kids too. Don't worry."

"Okay," Will said, "But don't forget about Jay-Jay."

"Like I could do that," Kate said rolling her eyes. "He's my baby brother. And you're my kid brother."

"Really?" Will asked excitedly.

"Well, duh," Kate replied as she moved on to design her dad's character. She pulled a picture of the team Abby had on the work bench closer to her to use it as a model. "You're Abby's little brother and Abby's my older sister so that makes you my kid brother. You're not young enough to be my 'baby' brother so you're now my 'kid' brother. It's simple logic, Willy Shakes. You just gotta think about it a little without over thinking it."

"Okay," Will said. Kate's logic was starting to sound like Abby's logic, and he was well versed in Abby logic.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

"They've been gone for an awfully long time," Kate commented as she glanced over at the clock four hours after the team had gone after Ari Hasswari and his Al Qaeda cell.

"They're fine," Abby said as she walked into her office. She began to dig around in her desk and said, "Katie, I need your opinion on colors for the bridesmaids' dresses."

"Okay," Kate said as she hopped off of her stool and over to Abby's desk. "What colors have you narrowed it down to?"

Will tuned them out and continued playing with the Sim family they had built. "I'm building a swimming pool for them," he informed Kate as he switched to Build Mode.

"Don't drown any of them," Kate warned as she peered over the color swatches Abby had laid out on the desk. "There's three adults and eight kids. We can't afford to kill any of them."

"Fine," Will said with a dramatic sigh. "Hey look! It's pouring out!"

Just as Will finished speaking there was a booming clap of thunder that Kate swore made the building shake followed by a bright flash of lightening.

"Will, save the game and turn off that computer," Abby ordered. "I don't need another fried hard drive."

"Why?" Will grumbled as he did what he was told. "What can a little lightening do to this old computer anyways?"

Abby's answer was cut off by the ding of the elevator followed by the swoosh and beeps made by her office door sliding open. Standing in the door way was a sopping wet, miserable looking Timmy McGee.

"Timmy!" Abby gasped. "Are you okay?"

"No," he said morosely while shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" Abby demanded as the cloth swatches slid from her hands to the desk top. "Who's in the hospital? Who's hurt?"

"Gibbs wants you all upstairs," Tim said quietly. Kate was struck by the odd look in Tim's eyes and how sick he looked. Something was wrong, Kate could feel it in her gut. The Gibbs Gut was never wrong and Kate didn't like the feeling of dread that accompanied the niggling feeling in her gut.

The elevator ride to the Bull Pen was uncomfortably silent. Kate fidgeted and played with the hem of her t-shirt as they stepped off of the elevator and headed for the team's area.

Tony was seated at his desk with a lost, hopeless, kicked puppy look on his face while Jethro paced the aisle area between the four desks. Kate Todd was nowhere in sight.

"Dad?" Kate said hesitantly, her question going unasked verbally, but the curious look on her face asked Jethro what had happened.

Jethro paused his pacing and stared at the other for a moment like he couldn't believe they were real. "Hey," he croaked out as he took an uncertain step towards his daughter.

"Gibbs? What's going on? Where's Kate? What's happening?" Abby asked in a nervous babble.

He was quiet for a moment before he pulled his baby girl into a bear hug as he tried not to cry.

"Come over here, Will," Tony said breaking the silence. Tony calling Will by his given raised red flags and set off alarms for both kids' heads. No nicknames for either kid was not a good sign.

Will just silently hopped up onto Tony's lap and faced the rest of the group.

"Kate's dead," Gibbs announced finally.

Tim wrapped an arm around Abby as she protested, "She can't be dead Gibbs! I saw her this morning! She's NOT dead! This can't be true! What? Why Kate? How?" Abby broke down and began to sob into McGee's chest.

"Ari," Tony said quietly, a steely tone creeping into his voice. "That rat bastard got her."

"How?" Abby asked again between sobs.

"He set up a sniper's nest on the roof of another building," Gibbs said. "We couldn't see him. A different terrorist came up behind us, only Kate saw him. He took a shot at me, but she jumped in front of it. Her vest stopped it. We stood her up, she was balancing herself and Ari's bullet hit her."

"No!" Katie protested as the news sank in. "She can't be dead Daddy! She can't be!" Katie shook her head in disbelief and squeezed her father tighter. "She can't be dead!" the girl cried, "It's not fair!"

Kate and Will glanced over at the empty desk across from Tony's. It looked the same as always, but the two kids felt that it should look different now that Kate Todd was gone. It unnerved Katie slightly to see that Kate Todd's purse was still in the exact same place it always was next to her printer. A fresh wave of tears flowed from the girl's eyes when she realized that Kate would never come back to grab her purse to go to lunch again.

Tony picked Will up off of his lap and set the boy on his feet on the floor before he excused himself. Will was furiously wiping his eyes and latched onto his sister in disbelief. Kate Todd couldn't be dead. Not now, not before she even had the chance to start her own family.

After a few minutes of miserable silence interrupted with sniffles, Gibbs turned to his team and said, "Tim go get Tony. Find Ari's sniper nest."

"On it, Boss," McGee said as he disentangled himself from his fiancé.

Abby just cried harder, pulling Will closer to her as Timmy retreated to the men's room to retrieve Tony.

"I'm going back to my lab," Abby announced letting go of Will. She half heartedly ruffled his raven locks and shuffled over to the elevator.

Will stayed up in the Squad Room with Kate and Jethro went up to MTAC. Kate fiddled around with everything on top of her father's desk and Will was playing solitaire on Tony's computer as the storm ragged on outside the window.

After unsuccessfully trying to open the top draw on her father's desk, Kate slammed her hand down on top of the desk surface and rose from the chair. "I'm going down to see Abby," she announced.

Will stood to follow her. "Can I have fifteen minutes?" Kate asked him as she paused in front of Tony's desk. "Please?"

"Yeah, sorry, of course," Will said sitting back down and he resume his game with a hurt look on his face.

"Sorry, Will," Kate said before she moved on. "I just…I...you know?"

"Really, it's fine," The boy said. "Go."

"Okay," she said and stepped onto the elevator. Once the silver doors slid shut, Kate sunk down onto her haunches and balled her eyes out.

The elevator finished its descent to the lab, and Kate stood up, whipped her eyes and stepped off of the elevator and headed into Abby's lab. As she crossed the threshold, Katie noticed the forensics lab was eerily silent.

"Abby?" Kate called hesitantly when she didn't see the Goth at her normal work bench. Stepping further into the lab Kate saw Abby sitting on the floor against the wall clutching Bert to her chest crying into the hippo's fur.

"Katie," Abby said as she noticed the girl. "Come here, Sweetie."

Kate ran to Abby's side and buried her face in Abby's shoulder.

"You put your pigtails in," Kate mumbled as Abby rubbed her back.

"I did," Abby said. "And put my black lipstick on."

"Kate would approve," Katie said as she rubbed her eyes.

"I felt like she told me to put them in," Abby commented as she played with one of her pigtails.

Katie nodded, "I'm going to miss her, Abby. Really, really, miss her."

"Me too, Katie. Me too," Abby said as she leaned her head against the girl's and handed her Bert.

"It's not fair," Kate was saying, "she didn't do anything to deserve to die."

"Sometimes," Abby said as she chose her words carefully. "Sometimes bad things like this happen to good people. We have no control over that and we can't stop it, no matter how hard we try to change that."

"That sounds like Henry Blake's rules," Kate said.

"Who?" Abby asked the younger girl.

"Lt. Colonel Blake," Kate repeated. "From M*A*S*H. One of Hawkeye's friends from Crabapple Cove died on somebody's operating table in OR and he got wicked upset about it. Henry told him almost the same thing, but it was the two rules of war he learned in medical school."

Abby nodded silently, she vaguely remembered that episode of M*A*S*H. "You watch M*A*S*H?" she asked Katie.

"Just the reruns on Hallmark," Katie replied. "Kate got me hooked on it when she babysat me one night last year."

Abby nodded and they sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Hey Abby," Kate said after a thoughtful moment. "Let's have a M*A*S*H marathon night in Kate's honor. She woulda like that."

Abby nodded, "After funeral. You guys can cram into my place."

"I'll get the DVDs and video tapes from the library," Kate said.

"I'll make the popcorn," Abby added. "And I'll call Kate to…" Abby trailed off as she realized what she was saying and burst into tears again.

"Oh, Abby!" Kate said as she began to cry again. "I'll be right back."

Kate stood up and staggered to the in lab bathroom and sank down onto her bottom and pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned up against a wall to cry.

"_What's with all of these tears?_" Katie glanced up and saw that Kate Todd was in standing in the middle of the bathroom wearing the exact same outfit that Katie had seen her in. She wasn't going to forget that outfit; Katie had been astounded to learn that Kate had survived almost being blown and taking cover on the highway in white pants without getting the pants dirty. Katie couldn't keep the khaki pants to her uniform clean during the 6 hour school day let alone keep white pants clean after lying on the ground.

"Kate?" Katie asked slowly as she stared at the ghostly figure.

"_In the flesh,_" She looked down and then ran her hand through the bathroom sink. "_Well, almost in the flesh."_

Katie giggled and used some of the toilet paper as a tissue to wipe her eyes. "Why are you here?" she asked the apparition. "I mean it's great to see you again, but why me?"

"_Well, I've already said good-bye to Abby, Ducky, your dad, and now it's your turn. After you and I are through I'm off to see Tony and McGee."_

"What about Will?" Katie asked.

"_I'll stop by and see him if I get a chance to."_ Kate said. "_So a M*A*S*H marathon? I wish I could be there."_

Katie smiled, "Good. I wasn't sure if you'd approve or not." She paused and really looked at Kate Todd. "So you're dead," she said lamely. "What's it like?"

"_You're the first person that's asked me that,_" Kate said.

"Oh," Katie said.

"_It's a good thing, Kiddo,"_ Kate said with a warm, motherly smile. "_It's different that's for sure. I know now it was my time to die and there was nothing anybody could have done to save me."_

"Oh," Katie said. "That actually makes me feel a lot better."

"_Good_," Kate said. "_I need to go now, Katie. Your mom found me earlier and she said she wants you to know she loves you and she's very proud of you._"

Katie started to cry again at the mention of her deceased mother, "Thanks, Kate. Can you tell her I love her too and miss her and Kelly?"

"_Of course, Sweetie,"_ Kate said with a soft smile. "_Just do me one favor and remember to stay safe and out of trouble."_

Katie nodded as she wiped her eyes and smiled, "I promise I'll try to."

"_Good_," Kate Todd said as she began to shimmer.

"Wait!" Katie said when she realized that meant Kate was leaving. "Was it Ari? I mean, did Ari, our Ari, kill you?"

Kate sighed and looked into the blue eyes of the young girl, "_He did,_" she said quietly as she began to get fainter and fainter. "_Be careful, Katie, he's still on the loose."_

Katie nodded, "Thanks, Kate. I'll miss you."

"_I'll miss you too, Katie,"_ Kate said as she disappeared for good.

Katie sniffled and emerged from the bathroom to hear Tony and Abby arguing about shell casings and to find Will sitting at the workbench. His eyes were blood shot from crying and he looked up at the older girl forlornly.

"This sucks, doesn't it?" Kate asked him as Abby and Tony's argument began to escalate.

"Yeah," Will said looking past the arguing adults and out through the window at the rainy sidewalk at the ceiling level.

"My dad's gonna get him, I mean he always gets the bad guys. And he's been chasing Ari for a year and a half," Kate said trying to convince herself and Will that Gibbs would catch the terrorist.

"He'll get him," Will said, agreeing with Katie.

"Of course he will," Katie said with a sigh. "I just wish he'd get him already."

Just then the argument and all conversation in the lab was ended by a bullet piercing the glass of one of the lab's windows. Tony threw Abby to the ground to protect her while yelling, "Katie! Will! Get down!"

The two kids scrambled to hide under the workbench and huddled together. Being shot at was an entirely new experience and it was one they didn't like at all. Katie briefly saw her father rush into the lab before all of the lights were extinguished, including the green glow of the refrigerator.

Kate inched closer to Will and her grip on him tightened as she noticed a dark shadow crawling in their direction in the pitch black, silent as a grave forensics lab.

"It's just me," Tony whispered when he got closer to where he last saw the two kids. "Are you two okay?" he asked crouching down in between Kate and Will.

"Yeah, we're fine," Kate said as Will nodded in agreement. "What about you and Abby?"

"I'm fine," Tony said hugging Kate. "I got Abby on the ground just in time and there were no more shots fired so as long as it stays dark down here we should be good."

"Was it Ari?" Kate asked crossing her arms angrily.

"Probably, but we have no proof," Tony said. "Let's get out of here. Abby!" he hissed, just a little louder than a whisper. "Crawl over to the workbench so we can all get out of here together."

"Okay, Tony," Abby said back, her voice a little shaky.

"Okay," Tony said once Abby had joined them, "Everybody stay low. Gibbs is out in the hallway at the elevator waiting for us. Just crawl as fast as you can to the door and once you make it to the elevator you can stand up."

"Gotcha," Kate said and she and Will scurried out of the lab faster than mice being chased by a cat.

Once everybody was standing and in the elevator, Gibbs looked at his daughter and said, "Why don't you two go up to the Director's office?"

Kate knew that tone of voice. It wasn't a suggestion, it was a direct order. She and Will exchanged panicked glances. They hadn't done anything wrong since the super glue incident months ago, so why where they being sent to the Director's office?

Neither one of the kids verbally challenged the order and got off of the elevator at the Bull Pen level with the adults and climbed the thirty-four stairs to the next floor. Yes they had counted the number of stairs between the two floors while under lock down. It wasn't like they had anything better to do with their time.

Kate led the way to the Director's office, she vaguely knew where it was past MTAC; she'd been in the office once or twice over the years and the new receptionist, Cynthia, liked her. Katie had decided a few years ago that it was always a plus to have the steno pool on your side in places like this. They could help you get away with murder, as could the Security Staff and Janitorial staff. Kate and Will knew who to befriend when it came to having allies for pranks.

When Kate and Will walked into the outer office of the Director's office, Cynthia looked up from the document she was typing and smiled. "Hey, kids," she said with a smile, "You can head right in. The Director is waiting for you."

Kate gulped nervously and her palms felt sweaty as her heart began to race. This was worse than being called to Sister Rosita's office when she was in trouble. Her father's BOSS had called HER and Will to his office. Something was really wrong somewhere.

Kate took a deep breath before opening the door and Will trailed in behind her. The back of the Director's chair was to the door as the Director conversed with a woman of Middle Eastern descent seated at the conference table.

When the chair whirled around, Kate could help but let out a shocked, "MOM!" when she saw it was her mother sitting in the Director's chair.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

And so ends Part One of Two. Next chapter will be the conclusion to Kill Ari and we get to meet Ziva for the very first time! Props to my beta surferdude8225 for proofreading this at 11 pm on a school night. Even though I've graduated (WOHOO!) she still has school for another week or so. Reviews are mandatory people and it only takes a minute or so of your time :)

Until next time! Ciao!

Beta Note: Actually, it's past 11 and I should really be asleep because if my mom found me awake, she'd kill me and take my computer away. But I could care less right now. At least school is almost over (for me).

Oooohhh…sorry if I almost got you in trouble…. My bad…. Again Reviews please!

Oh! And before I forget, somewhere in this chapter I referenced the commentary to the episode Twilight. Whoever finds it first and mentions it in a review gets the next chapter dedicated to them!


	33. Nightmares and Snuggles

Guys, I'm putting the Kill Ari Chapters on hiatus for the time being. For those of you who live on the East Coast and in Massachusetts, I'm sure you've heard what happened in Woburn, Massachusetts the night after Christmas. For those of you who don't, one of my dad's co-workers, a 34 year veteran on the Woburn PD, was shot and killed during a botched armed robbery. He was the first police officer to be shot and killed in the history of our police department. The week following Officer Maguire's murder was hellish and now, a week later, things still aren't any better yet. I cannot emotionally handle writing a chapter about Kate Todd being shot and killed and then kill Ari in the same chapter. I'm having issues about leaving my dad when I go to work and when he leaves, despite the fact I know that he's going to be okay (he has a desk job these days, thank God). What I need in this situation is a light hearted, family chapter and that's what you're getting God damn it! Please enjoy this chapter and I will eventually finish Kill Ari Part 2. Once you know I'm not a big ball of mush thinking how affected by this a young teenage girl would be once the truth sinks in.

* * *

Twenty year old Kate Gibbs woke up suddenly and couldn't put her finger on what had awoken her. Rubbing her eyes, she rolled to see what time it was. 3:25 am. Kate groaned and then noticed the small figure standing at the foot of her bed.

"Jay-Jay, what are you doing up?" she sleepily asked as she moved towards her seven year old brother.

Jay-Jay sniffled and rushed into his sister's open arms. "I had a nightmare."

Kate smiled and hugged the trembling little boy as she settled the two of them back into her bed. "Do you want to talk about it, Buddy?"

"No," Jay-Jay replied, and Kate could just _hear_ the pout in his voice.

Kate sighed and ran her hands through his curly, red hair trying to figure out how to make the stubborn boy talk. "You know," she said finally, "a dream is a wish, it's a special kind of wish."

"Really?" Jay-Jay asked, missing the Disney reference Kate was using.

"Mmhhmm," Kate replied, continuing on. "It's a wish your heart makes while you're sleeping."

"So?" Jay-Jay asked snuggling down next to his sister.

"Well, you know how when you make a wish you're not supposed to tell anybody or it won't come true?" Kate asked him. At Jay-Jay's nod she continued, "Well, if you tell somebody about your dream, it won't come true. And a nightmare is just a scary dream. So talking about it will make it better."

"Really?" Jay-Jay asked, his voice filled with surprise.

"Really," Kate said, reassuring the little boy. "So what happened?"

There was a moment of silence, and Kate started to think that Jay-Jay had fallen to sleep on her, but was proved wrong by the little sniffle and the sudden wet spot on her shoulder. "What's wrong, little man?"

"Are Mommy and Daddy okay?" he finally asked, looking up at his sister in the dark.

Kate realized she wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon, and turned on her bedside lamp. "Mom and Dad are fine, Jay. I promise."

"How do you know?" Jay-Jay demanded, sitting up and glaring at Kate.

"Would you feel better if I called Mom and you talked to her?" Kate asked reaching for her new iPhone.

Jay-Jay nodded in agreement and scooted closer to his big sister and hugged her while she scrolled through her contacts for Jenny's number.

"It's okay, Jay, it was just a bad dream," Kate said soothingly and rubbing his back while her phone rang.

"Hello?" Jenny's voice came over the phone on speaker phone, groggy and sleepy sounding. After all, it was 3:45 in the morning.

"Hey, Mom," Kate said, sounding a little bit more chipper than she felt.

"What's wrong, Kate?" Jenny asked immediately. Kate could hear Jenny already shaking Jethro awake in the background.

"I had a nightmare," Jay-Jay piped in.

"Oh, Sweetie," Jenny cooed through the phone as Jethro stirred next to her. "Will you tell me about it, Jay-Jay?"

Jay-Jay bit his lip and looked at Katie and thought about what she'd told him about dreams and nightmares. "Okay, I guess," he said finally.

Kate smiled at him, trying to encourage him to talk to Jenny.

"You and Daddy went away for work and you never came home," Jay-Jay said quietly. "And the social worker lady wouldn't let me live with Katie and I never saw anybody again and I was scared and I hated it. Tony and Abby and Timmy and Ziva couldn't even get me away from the place and I wanted to come home so bad and I couldn't," Jay-Jay said rambling on and starting to cry again. "And then, then there was this thing chasing me and chasing me and I couldn't keep running and then I woke up before it caught me."

Kate hugged the little boy tight and rubbed his back as he hiccupped.

"Jay, you know that would never happen," Jethro said, his voice was heavy with sleep, but the sound of his voice helped Jay-Jay calm down.

"It won't now," Jay-Jay said happily.

"What do you mean?" Jethro asked through a yawn.

"I told you guys about it," Jay-Jay said slowly trying to explain this to his father. "Kate told me nightmares are like dreams and wishes. If you want them to come true, you don't talk about them. If you don't want them to come true, you gotta talk about 'em."

"Exactly!" Kate said, ruffling Jay-Jay's slightly-longer-than-usual hair. Instead of being just longer than the Jar Head cut, Jay-Jay's hair was starting to cover his ears.

"Problem solved then," Jethro said. "Back to bed both of you. Jay's got school in the morning."

"Daddy," Jay-Jay said with a giggle, "it _is_ morning!"

"Then you have school in five hours. Now go to sleep," Jenny said with a sigh. "Love you, Little Man."

"Love you too, Mommy."

Kate looked down to see her brother's eyelids drooping as she said her goodbyes and hung up.

"Ready for bed, Squirt?" she asked him.

"Can I stay with you?" Jay-Jay asked sleepily.

"Sure, Jay-Jay," Kate replied pulling the blankets back and letting her little brother snuggle up to her side. "Sweet dreams, Squirt."

Kate's answer was the sound of Jay-Jay's deep and even breathing signaling the boy had fallen back to sleep.

* * *

Hey I'm ALIVE! I didn't realize how heavy of a workload I was getting with school and two jobs. I'm going to quit one of my jobs soon I think so no worries guys, I'll be making time for you again!

Leave me my reviews and I'll keep writing!


	34. The Funeral

It wasn't raining. It was her mother's funeral and the sun had the _nerve_ to be shining while her world continued to fall apart around her. Kate shifted Jay-Jay to her other hip and leaned against Tony as the grave side services began.

The priest, Father Tom, was the pastor from Saint Barbara's, the family parish, and Kate was refusing to look at anybody outside of her family today. Tony blamed himself. Kate blamed the Russians. Dad hadn't commented on any of this since it happened. And the Brownstone, Grandpa Jasper's beautiful Brownstone was gone.

Suddenly that house didn't matter as much as it used too.

Because Mom was dead. Dead. Gone. Never coming back. Not now, not ever.

Dead.

Kate couldn't tell you what Father Tom was saying, all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears, her breath hitching as she silently sobbed. Jay-Jay's quiet sniffles as her burrowed his face into his sister's shoulders. Her father trying to stay strong and not cry. Tony's silence and Callen's sullen look. Grampy Jackson's loud crying.

And over all of this, and the white noise that was the sermon, Kate heard mourning doves singing off in the distance. A fresh bout of sobs burst from her chest as she remembered that Jenny loved the sounds of a Mourning Dove's song.

Jay-Jay stilled in her arms and Kate was brought back to the service abruptly. Jay-Jay was reaching for the coffin. Her blood ran cold. The coffin. The mahogany monstrosity that contained the body of her mother. The body she hadn't been allowed to see prior to the wake to say good bye. Daddy had insisted on a closed casket wake.

Tony plucked Jay-Jay from Kate's deadened arms and stiffly carried the toddler to the coffin so he could kiss his mother goodbye. Jay-Jay grabbed the side of the coffin and wailed for his Mommy.

Kate felt dead inside.

She couldn't handle this anymore. There were too many people that hadn't known what her mother was really like; they'd only known her as Director Shepard.

She scanned the crowd to see who was here.

Uncle Toby and Emily.

The Directors of the FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security.

Senators from all over the country.

Hetty Lange and her team from the OSP in Los Angeles.

Former Director Tom Morrow. Secretly Kate used to refer to him as '_Tomorrow_' when she talked about him with Becky.

Becky and her family were here as well.

The President of the United States.

SecNav.

The Secretaries of the Army, Air Force and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Each one of them looked the right levels of upset and expressed the proper amount of grief that was expected from them. Mr. SecNav and Uncle Toby's faces showing the most genuine grief out of the assembled crowd.

These men would continue on with their lives tomorrow like nothing had changed, sure one of the federal agencies had lost their director. Life would go on.

'_No it won't_.' Kate thought darkly as Tony placed Jay-Jay back into her arms. She had to squeeze him tight to reassure herself he too wouldn't disappear if she let him go for longer than five minutes. Jay-Jay didn't mind. He clung to her tighter than she clung to him.

Except for Dad. Jay-Jay clung to that man like a vice when he had his hands on Jethro. Not that he minded. Jethro needed all the reassurance that he still had his babies by his side.

~o0o0o0o0o0o~

That night, after the funeral was over, after the final condolences had been said, after all of the high security personal had returned home to their own families and lives, the broken Gibbs family was left to slowly begin the process of piecing themselves back together.

Personally Kate felt like she wouldn't blame her father for up and abandoning the house in Anacostia and moving back to their little home in Arlington. But her father was Leroy Jethro Gibbs and he was going to stay in the home he and Jenny had established, even if it killed him to see little reminders of his wife everywhere.

Tony sat on one of the couches in the living room, tie half loosened, jacket somewhere around the house and a vacant expression on his face. He was trapped in his own mind with a bad case of self loathing, guilt, and the "Coulda, shoulda, woulda"s.

Abby was trying to put an extra clingy Jay-Jay to bed, trying being the key word; he refused to be parted from his father's lap.

Timmy sat next to Tony with a lost look on his face, and Ziva, Ziva was staring off in the distance, not really seeing anything or anyone from her chair in the corner.

Ziva understood. Ziva got it. Ziva felt Kate's pain.

Kate sat on the couch unmoving. Silent. Tears streamed down her face. Impassive, face of stone.

Her world shattered and shattered hard.

The clock ticks, second by second.

Time passes slowly.

The hour hand moves slowly, slowly, slowly until, it's now 8 pm.

It should be midnight.

Midnight where Kate can sob into her pillow in the dark. Sob into the pillow her mother had bought for her last week.

And then.

The phone rings.

The jarring, startling shrill ring of… Jenny's secure cell phone.

Forgotten on the end table in the formal living room.

A harbinger of doom.

They stared.

It rang.

Jay-Jay stopped crying.

The jarring ringing continued.

Finally Dad got up to answer the phone. His voice is more gravely than normal. "Hello," he croaks out and sounds completely un-Dad-like.

Jay-Jay sniffles.

No one moves.

Abby's dress makes some kind of ruffling sound.

Dad smiles.

Dad smiles.

Error, error. Does not compute. Dad smiles?

"You're sure? Can we speak to her?" he asks, the smile grows.

Kate frowns.

Abby frowns.

Ziva stays stone like.

Callen curses in Hungarian.

Tony freezes.

Timmy has a deer in the head lights look.

Jay-Jay sniffles.

And Dad smiles.

"Jen? Babe, are you sure this line is secure?"

The phone is thrust to Kate's ear.

"I'm sorry I had to do this to you Baby Girl, I'm so, so sorry."

It's Mom's voice.

Dead Mom's voice on the phone.

Mom is dead. But she's on the phone.

Kate screams and drops the phone.

And all is black.

~o0o0o0o0o0o~

When she awakes, it's dark, it's late and she's alone.

The bed is soft, the pillows dry.

Her face has no tear tracks.

There's someone at the end of the her bed.

Mom.

But Mom is dead.

Mom is with Kelly and Mommy.

Mom can't be here.

She can't.

But she is.

Kate cries and clings.

Mom apologizes.

Mom stays for breakfast.

Mom's undercover. She's not dead. She's coming back.

One day, but she's coming back.

Mom will call. She swears she will.

And Mom is gone again.

But not for good.

And the sun still shines.

Today isn't going to be as bad as she thought after all.

~o0o0o0o0o0o~

And y'all thought I'd abandoned you, didn't you?

Unbetad cause Megan's looking at schools in the deep South on vacation.

Two weeks until I'm done with school for the year :)


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